Henry's Story
by Cortexin
Summary: Henry is a normal boy, with a normal life. That is, until he gets hit by a car and crash-lands on the shore of Jump City. Join Henry and the Titans as they try to figure out why he's here. There will be laughter, anger, joy, and tears. And Beast Boy being thrown out the window, of course. I don't own the Teen Titans, other people do. Henry is my own creation. Enjoy.
1. Falling

Henry was just a normal kid: a sophomore in high school, a few close friends, and a loving (yet sometimes dysfunctional) family. And, of course, a supporter of a sixth season of the old _Teen Titans_ show. Everything in Henry's life changed forever one day, when his sister ran after a ball…

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Ellie's laughter was the only thing Henry could hear. The little girl had found a new fun thing to do: bounce a ball off of Henry's forehead. Henry, being the nice big brother that he was, let his five-year-old sister do it. It was a warm, sunny June day, and for little Ellie, things couldn't get any better. Bouncing a ball of your big brother's head is actually quite entertaining, and it isn't often for a person Ellie's age to continue something for as long as she had been doing it. Of course, after a while, she grew bored. Henry saw this, and figured he say an idea that had crossed his mind.

"Hey, Ellie! I have an idea for you," Henry called to his sister. "Why don't you make the ball bounce on the ground, and I'll do this," he asked, miming hitting the ball with his forehead.

"O-kay!" replied the little girl. She bounced the green ball down as hard as she could, and Henry head-butted it. The ball went flying, away from their house and out towards the street. Ellie ran after it, laughing. Now, there's one thing that is vital to what happens, and that is that Henry and Ellie live in a house on the corner of a block. On the corner, there are bushes and tall grass, and so it's hard to see what's coming around—or if anything is coming around the corner. Unfortunately for Ellie, this was one of those times. However, Henry had the fortune to be looking in the right direction at the right time. The wind was blowing, and through the gap in the plants Henry saw something that made him start running: the flash of light off of a car bumper. Meanwhile, the ball had come too close to the road for Henry's liking, and Ellie was right behind it. Time slowed as Henry ran. The closer and closer he got to Ellie, the closer she got to the road. A million thoughts raced through his head—would he reach Ellie in time? What happen to him? How would his parent's react? But one thing kept him focused: Ellie. He had to reach her. His legs moved harder and faster than he had ever moved them before. As he reached his sister, he saw the car: black and sleek. The squeal of breaks could be heard. Henry jumped out into the road, pushing Ellie out of harm's way, and braced for impact. Suddenly, all was black.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

…..and then all was white, and then, something amazing happened: Henry opened his eyes. Looking around, Henry soon became disoriented. He was standing, but there was nothing around him that he could see—there was only a blackness, with white dots. It was almost as if he were in—

"Space," came a voice from behind him. Henry turned around, but saw no one.

"Who's there?" he asked. "Where am i? Why aren't I dead?" The voice spoke again, deep and full.

"You ask many questions, Henry. I am… the Ellimist. You are nowhere. You are not dead. You didn't die—but your body is crippled. However, I have brought your… soul, yes, that's a good term for you, here. You are needed elsewhere." Henry stood silently, taking in all that he had heard.

"Are… are you God? Or a god?" asked Hnery. The voice chuckled.

"No, child, although I see why you would ask. I am merely… gifted. Now, we mustn't dawdle. You have things to do, and people to see. You have a busy schedule, Henry!" the Ellimist laughed.

"What do I have to do?" Henry asked. He was still confused—Ellimist? Not dead?

"Ah, yes… let me see…" said the voice, dragging out the last word. After a moment, the Ellimist spoke. "Yes. You will be sent to a place you've longed to go. You have important things to do. Before you go, let me explain: You live on Earth, in your universe. But there are others—parallel words in parallel universes. Ideas and concepts, people and things, they sometimes cross parallels. Not physically, not usually, but sometimes a reality in one universe will appear as fiction in another. The universes differ in varying degrees—sometimes a minor change, like what you ate for breakfast. Sometimes, very different things happen. In your history, Rome beat Carthage. In one universe. Carthage won. And in another, aliens settled Earth before mankind discovered fire."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"Patience. You are going to a world where your heroes exist. You will receive great powers. You alone will learn how to use them. Goodbye, Henry. Have fun!" called out the voice, and suddenly, Henry saw Earth. It was beautiful, the big blue marble. But it stared growing closer. And closer. Henry realized that he was falling. He saw North America. The Earth's dark side was covering the eastern coast, showing the electric grid. It looked… different, especially around New York. No matter about New York, though—he was falling towards San Francisco. He got closer and closer, and saw the streak of flames that were around him. He didn't hurt, although he started noticing that he was getting tired. Very…. Tired…. Once again, in too short of a time period, Henry blacked out.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Cyborg pulled up an image on the large screen in the Ops room. The other Titans were gathered around, watching the streak burn in the sky.

"What is it, Cyborg?" asked Robin. The leader of the Titans stood nearby, looking over Cyborg's shoulder.

"I don't know, Robin. It's way too small to be an asteroid or meteor. Waaay too small to be a comet," replied Cyborg. The video footage onscreen showed _something_ streaking through the atmosphere.

"Friends, perhaps I have an idea?" Starfire spoke up. "If you remember, I fell to the surface in a fiery streak." The other Titans looked at her.

"Starfire has a point," Raven said, "but we still need to make sure everyone in the city is safe." Robin nodded.

"Right. Raven, you go talk to the police chief and mayor. Everyone needs to stay inside. Starfire, I need you to fly up to the object. Cyborg, stay here and continue monitoring the object. Beast Boy and I will travel to the estimated point of impact. Titans, go!" instructed Robin. Raven disappeared into a dark portal as Starfire flew out the window in a flash. Robin and Beast Boy jumped out the whole in the window left by Starfire. The changeling transformed into a pteranodon and grabbed Robin by the sholders.

Minutes later, Robin and Beast Boy landed on the coast, just outside of Jump's city limits. It was the late afternoon, far different from when Starfire had crashed to Earth. As Robin and Beast Boy waited for the _thing _to crash to Earth, Robin reflected on that night. The night when the Teen Titans first came together. The night when she ki—

"Robin, dude, you need to hear this," Cyborg's voice came in from Robin's T-Communicator. "Star, tell him."

"Friend Robin, it appears to be a person," Starfire said. Beast Boy sat up.

"Another person falling from space?" asked the green teen. "Man, Jump is just a magnet for dudes falling from the sky!"

"Ok, Starfire, stop following in and come to my position," Robin instructed over the T-Communicators. "Cyborg, Raven, you too." The latter two confirmed. Moments later, Raven and Cyborg came out of one of Raven's dark portals. Cyborg fell out, mumbling something about 'never wanting to do that again' and rubbing his joints. The Titans looked up towards the sky, watching a the burning streak grew brighter and larger. Suddenly, Starfire's voice came on the T-Comm again.

"Friends, please, find somewhere safe to go. It is going to crash soon!" The Titans started to run. A loud sound started to fill the air.

"It's going to hit soon! Get close to me!" called out Raven. She held up her hands, and created a black dome of energy around them. Just in time, too, as just a second later, the object crashed down into the beach. Raven's dome of energy protected the team of teens from the shock wave and debris scattered by the impact. Good for Jump City, however, was the fact that the object was so small that the crater did not affect the city, save for causing disturbance and fear amongst the citiens, still sage in their houses.

When the dust settled, Raven disbanded the energy. Twenty feet away, laying in the newly-formed crater, was a boy. Dark-haired, the boy lay face-down, limiting the ability to determine any other facial features. The Titans walked and flew over to the boy, careful not to trip in the crater. When Robin reached the boy, he turned him over and check his pulse.

"He's still alive," commented Robin. The boy started moving. "Easy there, kid. Relax, I've got you." The other Titans simply watched as the boy who had fallen from the sky began to stir. After a minute, his eyes opened, and he sat upright.

"Where… Where am I?" asked the boy. "Who are you?"

"My name is Robin, and you're in Jump City. You've just crashed into the ground. You fell from space. Mind telling me who _you_ are?" questioned the Boy Wonder. The boy's eyes widened, as if he had realized something unpleasant.

"Robin? Jump City? I…" he started, but then collapsed back down. Robin quickly grabbed his head.

"We need to examine him. He's coming to the tower with us. Starfire, go tell the mayor it's safe again, and that we've taken care of the crash."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The boy awoke again in a hospital-looking room, attached to various tubes and devices. He saw someone standing near him, chanting something unintelligible. They wore a dark blue robe, and he couldn't see their face.

"Where am I? Who are you?" he asked again. The figure stopped speaking and looked at him.

"You are in our sick bay. My name is Raven," the figure replied. She, as the boy realized that it was a she who was talking to him, removed her hood. The boy was in shock; she looked quite… interesting. Her skin was pale, and her hair was a shade of purple he hadn't seen before. Had he? But most interesting about the girl—Raven, she had said—was that she had a small red stone on her forehead. Not that it was weird. The boy had a strange feeling of déjà vu. But there was no way she could look familiar. He had never seen her before. Suddenly, the boy remembered. His name was Henry. He had saved his sister from being hit by a car, only to be hit by the car himself. He had a strange encounter with "the Ellimist," and had fallen to Earth. And he knew that Raven was _not _real. Wait. What had the Ellimist said? _Sometimes a reality in one universe will appear as fiction in another_, Henry remembered. This wasn't real. This couldn't be happening. He was NOT talking to Raven from the Teen Titans.

"Well?" Raven spoke, interrupting Henry's thoughts.

"Oh, sorry. My name's Henry."

**Well, that's the first chapter! Sorry if it's a little dry right now. It'll get better, I promise. But for now, let me know what you think! This is my first time writing a fanfic, so please be a little gentler on the criticism. ** **However, if there is anything you think I should improve on, let me know please. A review is always nice, but you don't have to. Helpful criticism is also appreciated. But let's not be rude, please. Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read this, and have a fantastic day!**

—**Cortexin**


	2. Introductions, Powers, and Mumbo Jumbo

_**When we last saw Henry, he was in the Titans' sick bay…**_

_Suddenly, the boy remembered. His name was Henry. He had saved his sister from being hit by a car, only to be hit by the car himself. He had a strange encounter with "the Ellimist," and had fallen to Earth. And he knew that Raven was__not__real. Wait. What had the Ellimist said?__Sometimes a reality in one universe will appear as fiction in another__, Henry remembered. This wasn't real. This couldn't be happening. He was NOT talking to Raven from the Teen Titans._

_"Well?" Raven spoke, interrupting Henry's thoughts._

_"Oh, sorry. My name's Henry."_

"Henry, huh?" commented Cyborg. Henry had since left the medical bay, seeing as though nothing was wrong with him. Currently, he was sitting on the couch in the main room in the Tower, surrounded by Titans either sitting or standing near him. "Got a last name?"

"Stevenson," replied Henry. This was nuts. He must be dreaming. There was simply no way he was sitting on the Titans' couch, talking to the Teen Titans. Yet in front of him, clear as day, were Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, Raven, and Beast Boy. Henry pinched himself again, and once again he felt pain. Either this was actually happening, or he was in a vivid dream. Perhaps this was a dream he was experiencing in a coma. He _had_ been hit by a car, after all. Dream or not, however, Henry was sitting in Titans Tower, and he was _not_ going to screw it up.

"So, Henry," Robin began, "do you know how you ended up here?"

"Well, I remember… falling. A long fall, and then suddenly, I saw you. You told me I was in Jump City. Then I fainted, I think. It's what Raven told me." Henry rubbed his head, to add emphasis to the fact that he was all sorts of confused. "I woke up again, and Raven unhooked me from the machines, and then here I am."

"Interesting…" muttered Robin, scribbling something into a notebook. "Now, tell me Henry: do you have any sort of powers?" Henry looked at Robin, confused.

"Powers? Like, flying and super strength?" asked the confused boy.

"Yes. Beast Boy can turn into any animal, Starfire can shoot energy out of her fists, Cyborg can—" started Robin, before being interrupted by Henry.

"He can shoot things out of his arm because he's a cyborg, Raven can do all sorts of magic-y things, and you are just really good at martial arts," finished. This earned a strange look from all the Titans, especially Raven. 'Magic-y things?' That's how he described her powers? She would forgive him for now, seeing as that he had just smashed into the ground from space.

"How did you know our powers?" asked Robin. He looked at Henry with suspicion. Luckily for Henry, Starfire spoke up.

"Robin, do the people of Jump City not know our powers? We have protected them for a while." Henry looked at Starfire, silently thanking her.

"Starfire's right," Raven said. "It's unrealistic to think that somebody _wouldn't_ know what we can do."

"Uh, dudes? He came from space. I don't think he's from Jump," Beast Boy said, breaking his unusual silence.

"Point taken, Beast Boy, but that still doesn't answer the question. How do you know our powers?" Robin asked again, a little more forcefully this time.

"I… don't know. I just… knew, Boy Wonder," replied Henry. He realized what he had just said, and was about to say something that would probably gotten him into a deeper hole when red lights began to flash, and alarm began to sound. Immediately, a map of Jump City appeared on screen, with an icon flashing on the screen.

"The Bank of Pérez. Again," said Cyborg, almost as if he expected it. "Why do they always get robbed? It's always that particular bank…" he muttered as he waited for Robin's intructions.

"Titan's you know the drill," said Robin, pressing a button on the wall. A section of the window opened up, letting in a breeze. "Titans, go!" yelled Robin, giving the well-known command.

"What about me?" Henry asked quickly, not wanting to be left behind. Robin stopped, kicking himself mentally for forgetting about Henry.

"We can't leave him, and we can't take him either," Cyborg said.

"I know," Robin said quickly. "Raven, take him along with us. Henry, you will stay out of our way. We don't need any civilians getting hurt. Now, Titans, go!" Starfire grabbed Robin by the shoulders and flew out the window. They were shortly followed by the duo of Cyborg and Beast Boy, with the cybernetic teen being carried by the large green pteranodon that was Beast Boy. Finally, Raven and Henry walked up to the window. Raven summoned her usual disk of energy, but this time made it larger, and added small pole to the part behind her. The pole had handles for Henry to grab onto.

"Try to not fall off," Raven said as Henry grabbed the handles. As soon as he took hold, they flew into the air. Wind rushed past Henry's face. He held on for dear life as he watched the ground beneath him fly past. It was actually quite interesting, as he had never even flown on a plane before. Of course, in a plane, you didn't hang on for dear life as some person from a cartoon piloted a disc of black energy, did you? Henry watched as Starfire held Robin and Beast Boy carried Cyborg through the air. At least he had something beneath him.

"So, Raven," Henry started. "Who do you think it is, robbing the bank this time?"

"Don't talk to me. I need to focus. If I don't, we'll both fall. Well, you'll fall. I could fly," Raven said, looking back to Henry. Then she looked back towards the front, avoiding a large building she almost hit. A minute later, Henry, Raven, and the other Titans landed near a small building. It had a large hole in the wall, and on the inside, one could see a tall, blue person wearing a magician's outfit. Bags of money sat about as the tall person moved about inside.

"Mumbo Jumbo," muttered Cyborg. Robin walked over to Henry.

"Get to safe place. We'll find you when we're done here," the brightly-colored teen leader said. Henry nodded, and jogged a short ways away and sat on a bench, watching the scene unfold. The Titans approached the villain, and what ensued could only be described as a complete butt-whooping. That is to say, within minutes, the Titans had been turned into animals (or, in Beast Boy's case, a lamp) and placed into separate cages. The last time this had happened, they were in Mumbo's hat. Somehow, Mumbo Jumbo had been able to take that power and use it in the real world. Henry looked at the Titanimals—the term Mumbo had used—and sighed. Then he became worried. _Now what am I supposed to do?_ He wondered. Suddenly, the voice of the Ellimist filled his mind. _USE YOUR POWERS._

"I don't have any," Henry argued aloud. Luckily for the boy, no one was around to hear him. To his surprise, Henry's head filled with images. Images of him doing crazy things appeared to him. Shouting, with shock waves coming out of his mouth. Electricity flying out of his fingertips. Many other things appeared in Henry's mind, and he was amazed by it. The Ellimist's voice spoke again. _YOU CAN MANIPUALTE ENERGY, HENRY. WILL ENERGY TO FLOW AND TRANSFORM, AND IT WILL OBEY. HOWEVER, YOU WILL TIRE MORE QUICKLY THAN THE OTHERS. NOW GO!_ Henry ran towards the bank. Mumbo was waving his wand around, messing with the Titans in their cages.

"And now, for my next trick, I will need a volunteer!" laughed the magician. "How about you, Robin?" Mumbo opened Robin's cage and placed handcuffs around Robin's monkey wrists. The traffic light-colored monkey protested in hoots and hollers. Evidently, the Titan's couldn't speak outside of Mumbo's hat if they were animals. The cat that was Starfire, bear that was Cyborg, and rabbit that was Raven all made noises. The lamp that was Beast Boy flickered on and off.

"Stop right there, Mumbo!" Henry called out. Mumbo stopped what he was doing and looked at Henry.

"Well well well, what do we have here?" the large-nosed supervillain asked. "A friend of yours, Titans? Or maybe just a dumb bystander. Silly boy, you should know better than to mess with Mumbo the Magnificent!" With a flick of his wrist, Mumbo shot a blue bolt of energy towards Henry. _Alright, Henry, you can do this, _thought the boy. He pictured the bolt of energy flying towards him, missing him and curving back towards Mumbo. To his amazement, the blue streak curved around Henry and flew back towards Mumbo's hand, knocking the wand right out of it. Meanwhile, Robin began to slowly walk away from Mumbo, and started to get behind him.

"Ooh, well done, boy! That was a marvelous performance. But now, it's my turn to shine!" called the magician, and out of his sleeves appeared a deck of cards. Mumbo began throwing them at Henry. The boy jumped out of the path of the cards, and tried to think of something else. Of course, he couldn't stay still for too long, as more cards began to follow him. He ran behind the cages that held Cyborg, Starfire, Raven, and Beast Boy. The cards flew over the cages and down towards him, not doing what he expected them to do. Mumbo laughed as Henry started running again. _Think, Henry, think!_ He thought. Then he saw Robin, sneaking up on the magician. Despite the odd sight of a masked, costumed monkey sneaking up on a magician, Henry knew what Robin was doing. He needed to buy the leader of the Titans more time.

"Hey, Mumbo!" Henry called out. "Is that the only thing you can do, or are you out of ideas?" The taunt worked. Mumbo stopped throwing cards.

"Nope! I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve!" yelled the blue magician, as more cards began to fly out his armholes. They flew towards Henry, and then stopped as Mumbo cried out. Robin had jumped on Mumbo, and put the handcuffs around the supervillain's neck. He pulled back, forcing Mumbo to focus on getting Robin off of him. Henry took this opportunity to grab the wand that Mumbo had dropped. He held it in his hand, and pointed it at the Titans still in cages. Four blue bolts of energy similar to the one Mumbo had shot at Henry came out and struck the Titans, turning them back into their normal forms. It wasn't long until Starfire, Raven, Cyborg, and Beast Boy had busted out of their cages.

"Thanks, dude!" Beast Boy said. "Man, I hate being a lamp."

"Why?" Cyborg asked. "It's not light you get any brighter." Henry chuckled at that, but then turned the wand on Robin, who was still struggling with Mumbo. Fortunately, the bolt hit Robin, and he turned back into his normal self. Henry and the other Titans surrounded the magician, whom robin had managed to pin on his stomach while handcuffed.

"Don't worry Mumbo," Robin taunted. "Your performance isn't over. You have an encore—in jail."

"But that's not fair!" complained the beaten Mumbo. Minutes later, a police vehicle showed up to bring Mumbo Jumbo to jail. Robin was un-handcuffed, and the first thing he did was shake Henry's hand.

"Thanks for helping out back there," Robin said. "You really saved our butts back there."

"No problem, Robin. Glad to have been there," replied Henry. Inside, he was freaking out. He had powers. He had fought Mumbo Jumbo. He had saved the Teen Titans! Henry was fangirling so hard it was a surprise that he wasn't shaking.

"So… now what?" asked Henry.

"Well, we have two options," started Raven, not liking where it was going to end. "Option one: we go back to the tower. Option two..." Raven offered, allowing herself to be interrupted. She knew what was next.

"We go for pizza!" Cyborg and Beast Boy exclaimed simultaneously.

"Yes! I can get the mustard!" Starfire said just as excitedly. "Oh, Robin, may we please go to the pizza place?" she asked, her eyes growing large and lower lip quivering. Robin took one look at Starfire, and his will dissolved.

"Fine. Let's go get some pizza…" Robin said, defeated. He hung his head as the three Titans cheered.

"Thank you, Robin!" cried Starfire as she crushed Robin suffocated. As the Titans left for the food, Henry helped Robin up.

"She has you wrapped around her finger," Henry said, laughing softly.

"No she doesn—yeah, she does. Come on, join us. It's our way of saying thank-you," Robin replied, still a little red in the face. "You've earned it." As the two walked behind the other four Titans, Robin withheld his thoughts. He still wasn't too sure of Henry. He figured that Cyborg's test would yield results by the time they returned to the Tower. _Who are you really, Henry Stevenson,_ wondered Robin. _And why are you here?_

**Aaaaand that's chapter two! Hopefully you enjoyed it. A review would be nice, but again, you don't need to. PM me if you want to say something private. Thanks again for reading this! Have a fan-freaking-tastic day! Peace, y'all.**

**-Cortexin**


	3. First Time in the Tower

**_When we last saw Henry, he was going to get pizza..._**

_"...Come on, join us. It's our way of saying thank-you," Robin replied, still a little red in the face. "You've earned it." As the two walked behind the other four Titans, Robin withheld his thoughts. He still wasn't too sure of Henry. He figured that Cyborg's test would yield results by the time they returned to the Tower. Who are you really, Henry Stevenson, wondered Robin. And why are you here?"_

* * *

When Henry and the Titans arrived at the pizza place, the first thing that happened was the initial swarm of fans. A dozen or so people jumped out of their chairs to say "hi" to the heroes, or to ask them for an autograph. The teens managed to subdue the crowd, and after ten minutes, finally got to place their order. Cyborg and Beast Boy took part in the classic "meat-vs-veggie" debate that the others had grown accustomed to. Meanwhile, Robin ordered the pizzas while Starfire, Raven, and Henry found a spot for everyone to sit. They settled on a medium-sized booth, and sat down.

"Henry," Starfire said once Robin, Cyborg, and Beast Boy joined them, "where do you come from? Surely you cannot be the alien, like I am."

"Yeah, man, where are ya from?" Cyborg asked." Henry didn't answer for a moment. He couldn't just say _oh, I got sent here from a parallel universe by a weird voice-thing called the Ellimist._

"I... I don't know. I all I remember this voice talking to me, and then falling." Henry looked at the others, trying to look confused. Only Raven and Robin knew he was lying, but the two didn't say anything. They merely looked at each other momentarily, each recognizing that the other realized it too.

Most of the next hour was spent chatting casually, with Henry merely absorbing everything around him. Robin and Starfire kept mostly to themselves. Raven sat quietly save for a snide comment only half-muttered when Beast Boy mentioned how funny he was. Cyborg and the changeling kept Henry occupied, with the three discovering that they had a lot in common. Henry and the two Titans all enjoyed video games, pranking, and all-around acting stupid when they were bored. Cyborg didn't like the being stupid bit so much, but he kept quiet. It was nice to have another person to talk to-he always enjoyed hearing another person's opinions. When the pizzas arrived, the teens dug in. They _had_ just fought a supervillain, after all. Fighting crime certainly gave one an appetite. Raven hadn't been able to grab a slice, and so as Beast Boy grabbed two slices of the pseudo-Italian food, a piece in his hand suddenly glowed black and moved away from him.

"Hey!" the green teen complained, "That's cheating, Raven!" The empath's mouth was full of pizza, and so she didn't reply. It wasn't often she consumed much other than her tea, but pizza was pizza. None of the Titans would give up a chance at pizza. Raven was merely reserved about it. When the pizza came down to one slice, the Titans and their guest eyed the food hungrily. The last slice of pizza was considered a treasure. Beast Boy was certain that it was good luck to get it.

"Alright Titans, you know what we need to do..." Cyborg announced as he pulled out a spinner. He placed it on the table and gave a quick spin. The spinner went around and around, with each of the Titans crossing their fingers. Mutters of "please be me" went on until the spinner started to slow. It looked like the spinner's arrow was going to stop on Beast Boy. Henry had a sudden thought, and acted on it. Willing a little more energy into the spinner, it moved past Beast Boy to complete an extra quarter of a turn-pointing towards Raven.

"Aw, man," Beast Boy moaned quietly, as Raven floated the last piece toward her. Cyborg picked up the spinner and put it into some small container on his arm.

"Sorry, grass stain," he said with a smirk,"maybe next time." With that, Henry and the Teen Titans stood up and left, leaving a sizable tip on the table behind them. Robin and Starfire led the group of six towards the island, talking with each other about who-knows-what. Raven, Cyborg, and Beast Boy tended to let the two be in their own little world whenever they could. Seeing as though it was a bright, sunny day, the Titans walked as opposed to flying back the Tower. Beast Boy and Cyborg were also engaged in conversation, consisting of giving various ratings to the girls they passed on the streets. All of this left Raven and Henry walking next to each other.

"You didn't have to do that," Raven said. Henry immediately felt a surge of... he didn't know what. Guilt? Pride? Embarrassment? He didn't know.

"Do what?" he asked innocently.

"You know what," replied the empath. She mentally rolled her eyes. If this was just another sad attempt by some fanboy to win her affection, then he had another thing coming. Falling from the sky or not, Raven wasn't about to let some idiot drool over her.

"I just thought that since Beast Boy had already eaten half a pizza, maybe someone else should have it," the dimensionally-dislocated teen answered. A few moments went by.

"Thank you," Raven said quietly. The rest of the walk was silent for Raven. She had various conversations going on in her head. Raven's other 'selves, or 'Emoticlones' had started talking. Knowledge wanted to know more about how Henry had survived the crash to Earth. Happy was happy that there was someone new to talk to. Brave wanted to beat Henry up (of course, Brave _always_ wanted to beat someone up). Meanwhile, Henry was busy inside his own mind. He had been in this universe for less than a day, and already he had crashed to the planet's surface, fought and beat a supervillain, and had eaten pizza with the Titans. So far, it was a weird day. Of course, he was worried about Ellie, and what had happened to her. Perhaps she was okay. If that was the case, then Henry would relax. Maybe the Ellimist would say something to him, but for now, seeing as though he had no way of finding out, he simply let it rest. More strange to Henry was the simple fact that he was walking next to _Raven_, one of the _Teen Titans,_ in _Jump City._ Henry figured that if he looked at a map, he would find Steel City, Gotham, Metropolis, Keystone City, Central City, and all the rest. If Metropolis was real, then that meant...

"Holy chocolate eclairs," Henry murmured to himself.

* * *

When they finally got to the Tower, it was reaching five in the afternoon. The sun had only begun to appear lower in the sky, but it would still be a few hours before the sky grew darker. In that time, while Beast Boy, Henry, Raven, and Starfire were left to themselves, Cyborg and Robin went to the lab in the Tower.

"You have the results, Cyborg?" Robin questioned. It had been on his mind since Henry had been in the Tower's infirmary. Being unconscious, it had been simple to extract a little blood from Henry's arm.

"Yeah, just let me pull it up," answered the cyborg. He clicked a few times, until the test results popped up. Red text appeared on the screen: NO MATCH FOUND.

"Just what I thought," muttered the Boy Wonder. He hadn't expected a positive match. No normal human could survive that fall, or even be in such a position to fall from space in the first place. There was something... different about Henry. Almost as if he didn't belong. Not with the Titans, but perhaps in Jump City.

"So what are we going to do with him?" Cyborg asked, removing the words onscreen. He started making a file for Henry, omitting a picture, the social security number, and other personal information. In fact, the file was pretty much 'Henry Stevenson' and 'Blood Type: O Negative.'

"Well, we can't just send him away," Robin replied. "He doesn't have any anywhere to go, or even a government identity. He doesn't _exist._"

"He does have powers, y'know," Cyborg offered. "And he does seem to get on with the team pretty well." Cyborg stopped, knowing that Robin understood what he was implying.

"No. At least, not yet. Remember the last time we let someone join the team?" Cyborg shuddered. It hadn't been pretty. Terra had nearly caused Jump City's destruction, although she was under the command of Slade at the time. Still, despite her actions in the end, Terra had been a traitor to the team, and so Robin was concerned about another new Titan. If Henry _was_ going to join, then it would be after a lot of review. And all of the other Titans would have to agree, of course.

"I try not to..." Cyborg said sadly. He hadn't gotten close to the blonde geomancer, but he had seen how much she had meant to Beast Boy, and how much she had hurt him. It was an unspoken agreement between Cyborg and Beast Boy to never speak of it. Or her.

Meanwhile, Raven and Starfire had gone to the roof for meditation. This left Beast Boy and Henry alone.

"So," the green Titan offered. "Ever play _Twisted Wheels 2_?" Henry snorted.

"No. What's that, some sort of racing game?" Henry asked. Beast Boy nearly flipped.

"What do you mean, 'some sort of racing game'?" Beast Boy spluttered. "Have you lived under a rock your whole life? It's only _the bestselling racing game of all time!_" Henry laughed._  
_

"Sorry, never heard of it. But I'll play," he offered to the panting changeling.

"Alright!" Beast Boy said excitedly. He pulled a gaming console out from a box, and plugged it into the base of the screen in the large room that was the Titans' living room. Turning the device on, Beast Boy handed Henry a controller. Within minutes, Henry and Beast Boy were starting the race. The green-skinned Titan had selected a green-and-purple car to match his uniform, while Henry chose a brown car with green accents, matching his hair and eye colors respectively. The announcing voice counted down on the game.

"Three... Two.. One... GO!" the announcer crowed, and the car's took off, squealing and smoking onscreen. Henry had never played on a screen as large as the one he was using now. But that wasn't what was on his mind at the moment. What was on his mind was the game. Of course, he had never played this particular racing game before. It didn't exist in his world. However, his friend Tyler had been obsessed with racing games, and so Henry had been forced to play through hundreds of hours of various versions of racing. Tyler would always win, but that didn't mean Henry wasn't good. With Beast Boy, Henry struggled to control his car as he learned the controls of the game. It didn't take long to figure them out, but the shape-shifting Titan had gotten a decent lead in that time. However, Henry was gaining on the Titan. The track transformed into a thin, coiling ramp. Henry had almost managed to catch up to Beast Boy's car.

"Oh, yeah, I'm gonna win!" Beast Boy cried out-and that's when Henry passed him. He had saved a small amount of 'boost' and used it to pass the changeling's car. Luckily, the track had flattened out, and the finish line was visible. The two playing started sweating. It had been an intense race, and neither wanted to lose at the last second. The end grew closer and closer, and the green Titan's car sped ahead in the last second. The final times were Beast Boy 3.810 minutes, Henry 3.808.

"Dude," Beast Boy said after winning music played. "Nice race. That was intense."

"Yeah, it was," Henry agreed, and the two shook hands. There was a moment silence, and the two looked at each other. "Race again?"

"You bet!" replied Beast Boy enthusiastically, and the two picked their controllers back up.

* * *

**That's chapter three for you! Sorry it's a little short. It's late as I type this, but I won't upload it until later. I might not be able to post Monday, or at all until the 24th. I'll be camping and hiking for two weeks, starting the 6th and ending the 23rd (this includes travel time). My goal is to get at least one more chapter up before I leave, but I can't promise anything. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this. I know I did-writing this was just _fun_ for some reason. Good news: I figured out how to add those horizontal lines, so that makes me happy. Also, sorry to those who like Terra. She could have been GREAT, but in the end I feel like she had betrayed her friends. I still admire her sacrifice, though. Well, that's it for now. Feel free to review and tell me what you liked, what you didn't, and/or what I should work on. One last thing: Shout-out to ThisIsWheretheNameGoes, for being the first to review this story. Bye everyone, and have a fan-freaking-tastic day!**

**-Cortexin**


	4. Dreams and Early Morning Discussions

_**When we last saw Henry, he was busy rotting his brains by playing video games with Beast Boy…**_

_"Dude," Beast Boy said after winning music played. "Nice race. That was intense."_

_"Yeah, it was," Henry agreed, and the two shook hands. There was a moment silence, and the two looked at each other. "Race again?"_

_"You bet!" replied Beast Boy enthusiastically, and the two picked their controllers back up._

* * *

The rest of the night went smoothly, with Henry and Beast Boy beginning to form a friendship. (This, of course, would end up being terrible for the rest of the Towers' inhabitants. Pranks would have double—well, triple—the brainpower behind them. The last thing Beast Boy needed was an accomplice). Robin began to outwardly show trust towards the crashed teen, a trick he learned from Batman. Even if he didn't trust Henry yet, and face it—Robin was smart not to trust someone they'd just met, it was his best move to make Henry think Robin did. Cyborg too was wary, but being the optimistic person he was, Henry quickly became a worthy opponent on _Twisted Wheels 2._ Starfire nearly dislocated several vertebrae and ribs with a hug, but that was a given. It was funny to Henry. He had seen it happen onscreen and winced at it, but never had he expected to be on the receiving end of one. As for Raven, the two had only talked twice—once when Henry was in the infirmary, and once when Henry had caused Raven to get the extra slice of pizza. When it came time to sleep, however, an issue arose: where was Henry going to sleep? There was, of course, Terra's old room, but even after all the time that had passed, the room was still a source of bad feelings. This left only two options: the couch, or Beast Boy's room. For health and safety reasons, Henry slept on the couch. Borrowing a pillow from Starfire and a blanket from Robin, Henry plopped down on the couch.

"…and remember, if you need anything, BB's room is the first door on the right after you take the elevator up. It says 'Beast Boy' on the door, so I think you'll find it," Cyborg finished saying.

"Alright, Cyborg, take it easy. Thanks man. G'night," Henry yawned, rubbing his eyes.

"Night," Cyborg returned, shutting off the lights in the main room as he stepped into the elevator. Henry closed his eyes, thinking of the day's events. He had been hit by a car, fallen to the Earth, met the Titans, discovered he had powers, fought Mumbo and won (something he still hadn't figured out), eaten pizza with the Titans, played games with Beast Boy, and had nearly been crushed by Starfire's insane Tamaranean strength. Just an average day. _Man, this pillow is freaking SOFT*!_ Henry thought as he yawned again. _No wonder she's so happy. I'd be too if I had this pillow every night._ However, his thoughts didn't last much longer as the veil of sleep overtook him.

In his dream, Henry floated in space, just like he had after being hit by the car. _Not again_, the teen thought.

YES AGAIN, the voice of the Ellimist echoed in reply. YOU HAVE MUCH TO LEARN, HENRY.

"Can you please just show yourself?" Henry asked. "It's hard to talk to a voice, after all." In response, a figure appeared in front of Henry as a ground appeared beneath him. He was in his yard, the yard where he and Ellie had played. A man in a black suit formed where the figure was.

"Is this better?" the man in black asked in the Ellimist's voice.

"Umm, yeah, it is" Henry murmured in reply. He was still looking at the yard. Who knew that you could be relieved to see a place as boring as your yard after a mere day of being away from it?

"Henry, I don't have a lot of time to talk, so don't interrupt me," the Ellimist said. "Your battle with Mumbo Jumbo was lucky. He had actually managed to increase his abilities, and yet you defeated him with almost no effort. Why? I helped. I gave you an increase in your abilities today. And I also clouded Mumbo's judgment. It was essential that you gained a positive light with the Titans as soon as you could. However, I cannot interfere as directly as I have. I must proceed in accordance to… certain rules, I might say. It is a much longer story that you are not a part of." Here the Ellimist paused so Henry could process the information. After a moment, he continued. "From here on out you will be much weaker. You will still be able to manipulate energy, but you must absorb it first. You will only be able to store a certain amount, and in the beginning it will be small. It will grow over time, as well as your mastery over your powers. However, you must train. Improve your skill, as the world will need you." The Ellimist's body shimmered. "I must be quick, child, as I have one more thing to show you. It will not be pleasant."

The scene changed, and Henry's yard gave way to a smaller, white area. People gathered around a small bed, with a person in it. Henry recognized the room as a hospital room, and the people were his family. His father, James, tall and proud with his eyes red. His mother, Emily, sitting and holding the person's hand. And finally Ellie, held by her father, unsure of what was happening. It suddenly dawned on Henry that it was _him_ in the hospital bed, hooked up to various IV's and machines. The doctor was speaking.

"…looks like he has several shattered bones on his left side, and spinal damage. Brain scans show that he has altered regions on the left side, and there are signs of trauma in the skull. He is severely injured internally and externally, and I'm sorry to say this, but he may not make it." At this, Emily began to sob. Henry's father moved to set down the daughter and hold his wife.

"Is… Is there anything you can do?" his father asked, holding back tears.

"Yes. All of his injuries, except those in his brain, can be treated while Henry is unconscious. It will be difficult, as his body is in no condition to undergo so many different surgeries and procedure." The doctor looked grim as he told the Stevensons this news. This was one of things he didn't like about his job—telling families that their loved ones might not make it, or worse, didn't.

"If—when—he survives, how will he get better?" Emily asked, her eyes still leaking.

"I'm sorry, but it appears that should Henry pull through, he will be in a coma. His brain patterns suggest he is comatose. It is likely that Henry may never do anything again." Henry—the alright Henry—merely stared at his family, and at himself, barely able to comprehend what he saw. He was covered in bandages, casts, and scabs. He moved to put a shoulder on his father's shoulder, but his hand merely went through it.

"They cannot see us," the Ellimist spoke. "I'm sorry—this is the best that I can do at the moment." Suddenly, the hospital disappeared, and Henry was once again in the empty space, with Earth below. The Ellimist spoke again.

I MUST GO. REMEMBER, YOU MUST TRAIN, HENRY, the being's voice echoed, growing softer and softer until it disappeared. Henry once again felt the sensation of falling, and then suddenly sat up quickly, breathing hard. _What… did I just see?_ He wondered. The sight of his family crying, and of him unconscious in the hospital still played in mind's eye. He shuddered, but not from the cold. It hurt, seeing his family cry like they had been. And the doctor had mentioned him being in a coma. What if this was merely a delusion? Some twisted fantasy his mind created while under extreme distress? However, despite his concerns, Henry lay back down, covered up, and closed his eyes, hoping for calmer dreams. As he fell asleep again, he thought he felt the tiniest trace of something in the back of his mind. Something probing… not that it mattered. In a matter of moments, Henry was asleep again, and stayed that way until the morning.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the dark of Jump City, something stirred. It was not of this world, like Henry, but it had darker purposes. A thug walked down an alley, holding a gun to an older woman's head.

"Just give up the purse and no one'll git hurt," the thug ordered. The woman dropped her purse and screamed. "Just keep quiet, will ya? No one needs to here this!" However, the woman continued to scream, and she raised a finger to point behind the criminal. Stupidly, he looked.

"What the HELL is that!" he yelled, looking at what he saw. A green blob of _something_ had appeared next to the two people. The woman began running, still screaming a high-pitched scream. The criminal began emptying the gun's contents into the thing while backing away from the thing. It continued to advance as the bullets entered the monstrosity's body, having no affect whatsoever on it. The criminal continued to pull the trigger even after it was empty, and in a last-ditch effort, threw the gun at the green pile. It merely absorbed the metal like it had the bullets. The criminal, not looking where he was going, tripped on a bottle that had been left in the alley. Hitting his head, the thug was disoriented for a moment before he remembered where he was. A moment was all that the thing needed. A tentacle of slimed wrapped around the man's leg. He pulled it away, but the tentacle remained firm. The green pile pulled the man closer. Screams echoed throughout the black night.

* * *

Henry awoke to a small light in the kitchen area. He looked out the giant window that was the wall in the Tower. Only the first hints of orange glowed at the horizon. So who could be—Raven. Of course. Henry remembered that Raven awoke first of the Titans. Henry sat up, the sound of water boiling softly coming from near the light. Henry sat up, and looked at his clothes. Still the same maroon T-shirt and khakis he wore yesterday. This gave Henry a thought. _Where am I going to get new clothes? _

"Did I wake you?" came Raven's voice, softer than usual. Henry stood up and walked towards the empath.

"No, no, I usually wake up early," Henry answered. It was mostly true—he didn't wake up this early, but still early. "Mind if I join you?" he asked, yawning. He was still a little tired, but that was fine—a little tea would get him going.

"Go ahead," Raven replied, motioning to the table where she sat. Henry pulled out the seat, but before he sat down, he noticed that there was only one cup.

"If I was a cup in the Tower, where would I be?" asked Henry, examining the different cupboards in the kitchenette.

"The one next to the sink," came Raven's reply. Henry muttered a thanks, then grabbed a small teacup. He walked over and sat down across from Raven. His cup glowed black with a white outline as it floated over to a similary-colored floating teakettle. The kettle tipped and tea filled Henry's cup, and each floated back to their respective place on the table. Raven lifted hers with her hands and took a sip.

"Thank you," Henry said again, lifting his own cup. It felt warm in his hands. A little too warm, so Henry figured that this would be a good way to start trying out his powers. He willed some of the heat energy in the tea to travel into his body. It took a moment, but he felt the cup cool slightly as a warmth traveled from his hands to the rest of his body. Henry took a sip of the tea. It tasted… different**. Perhaps a little minty, maybe a little lemony, and a few other things. He set the cup down.

"So, Raven, what brings you to the kitchen this morning?" asked the teen, half-jokingly. He knew, already, but it was nice for a conversation.

"I always wake up at this time," replied Raven in a monotone voice. That right there gave Henry a weird feeling—it was the 'Raven' voice he always heard whenever he imagined her speaking, be it him remembering it from the cartoon or whenever she spoke in a… story he had read online. He wasn't about to think about the… stories… he had read on his computer, especially not when the subject of them was sitting across from him, sipping tea. "I make tea, then go to the roof to meditate for an hour or two," she continued.

"Oh," was Henry's brilliant reply. He took another sip of his tea, looking at Raven as he did. Her hood was down, revealing her purple hair and red chakra. Aside from the odd color scheme, Raven wasn't half-bad look_Stop it Henry!_ He though angrily to himself. _She's an empathy, she can sense your thoughts!_ While this was true, Raven only sensed conflict within Henry. Nothing unusual, so she dismissed it. "What kind of tea is this? Herbal, yes, but what?" Raven set down her cup.

"It's an attempt to recreate the tea that was served by the monks of Azarath during my years there," Raven replied. Upon seeing Henry's look of confusion, Raven continued. "For most of my young life, I lived in Azarath, where I learned to control my emotions. The monks there have raised me since birth. There's a lot more to my life story, but that's a good summary for an early morning." That was a lot of talking for Raven, considering she kept quiet most of the time. She took another sip of her tea. Henry breathed out, thinking about what she had told him. Not _what_ she had told him, but rather _that_ she had told him. It seemed unlike the Raven he had grown accustomed to watching.

"I suppose I might come clean about my past," Henry started. "It started about… wow, I don't even know when. I guess it was yesterday. My sister Ellie—she's four, cute little thing—and I were playing in our yard." Here Raven raised an eyebrow, at the word playing. "What? I'm a big brother. Anyway, she had this ball she loved, right? And she was bouncing it. Well, I got the idea to headbutt it when she bounced it. So she bounces it, and I hit it with my forehead. It goes flying, and Ellie chases it, laughing. Now, I watch her, but for a second I look away, and what I see is a car. It's still a decent ways away, but it's moving fast. And Ellie is too close to the road for my liking, so I start running. The car gets closer and closer to Ellie, and I keep getting closer and closer to her, and when I get to the road, she's in the middle going after that ball, and I jump and hear tires squeal, and—" Henry stopped talking. He couldn't bring himself to say the next words. "Suddenly, I'm floating in space. I can't see anything, when suddenly this _voice_ starts talking to me. It says that it is 'the Ellimist' and that I'm needed in this world. He—I think it's a he—also said something about fiction in one universe being reality in another." Henry paused to take a long sip of tea. This was insane—he was telling everything that had happened to him within the last _day._ "Where I come from, you guys… the Teen Titans…. even Jump City…. are fictional. For goodness sakes, I watched you guys on TV. You were a _cartoon_, based on a comic book series. You had _voice actors_, who sound exactly like how you sound!" Henry placed his head on the table, and softly pounded the top of it. "I just—" pound "don't under—" pound "stand!" He sat back up. "Sorry Raven. I needed to get that out."

"I understand. Pent-up emotion can cause a lot of distress. It's good to let it go," Raven commented. Not that she could do like Henry did—half of the Tower would be in orbit if she let loose like Henry did. The boy wiped an eye.

"Thanks for putting up with this," Henry said. A sound surprised Henry, a _whoosh_, but it was merely the elevator doors. Out stepped Robin, wearing his colorful uniform.

"Morning Raven, Henry," he greeted sleepily. Raven and Henry watched as Robin started a pot of coffee. Raven stood up.

"I'm going to the roof if you need me," Raven announced, then disappeared through a black portal in the ground. Robin looked over at Henry.

"Rough night? You look like you had a bad dream," the Boy Wonder commented.

"Yeah," Henry sighed. "I kinda did."

"Need to talk about it?" asked Robin. This would be a good way to connect with Henry, get him to trust Robin. Robin was still unsure of Henry, but that was realistic. Thoughts of Terra wandered through his mind, but he dismissed them. Hopefully, this time would be different, but until Henry proved otherwise, Robin would have to stay wary.

"Yeah, but give me a moment." Henry breathed in, then out. It was going to be a long day if he had to tell _all_ the Titans his backstory of one day. "I had a sister named Ellie…"

* * *

As Henry told Robin of his crazy day, something walked about in a body not its own. As the sun rose over Jump City, the green _thing_ walked about in the form of the thug. It stretched.

"Ah… a new body, a new city, a new planet. Let's see how much… _fun_ we can have," its deep voice spoke. Its laughter echoed through the alley where it had first arrived. "I have things to do," the creature spoke to itself, and began walking. Now, where would one find the criminal element in Jump City?

* * *

**That's what I've got for chapter four! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far, it means a lot! This chapter is longer because it just was. I stopped writing when I felt it was time. Plus, I guess this longer chapter is to attempt to make up for my upcoming absence. If you haven't checked my profile (or forgot since last chapter) I'm going to be hiking and camping at the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. I'm leaving on the sixth, and should be back by the 23****rd****, so no updates during that time. Plus, I'll need time to recover from only having two showers in that time… Yuck! I should be able to start updating again on the 25****th****, although I will have to write. So thanks for reading. And to TheAnonoymousWriter564: you rock. This dude mentioned me on their profile, so in return, I'll give them a little shoutout here. Go read their story **_**Creo the Hero.**_** It's just beginning, but is really good so far. Bye everyone, and have a fan-freaking-tastic day!**

—**Cortexin**


	5. Training

_**When we last saw Henry, he was baring his heart and soul to Robin (not like that, weirdos!)…**_

_"Need to talk about it?" asked Robin. This would be a good way to connect with Henry, get him to trust Robin. Robin was still unsure of Henry, but that was realistic. Thoughts of Terra wandered through his mind, but he dismissed them. Hopefully, this time would be different, but until Henry proved otherwise, Robin would have to stay wary._

_"Yeah, but give me a moment." Henry breathed in, then out. It was going to be a long day if he had to tell __all__ the Titans his backstory of one day. "I had a sister named Ellie…"_

* * *

"…and then I guess that's when I fell to Earth in giant streak of fire," Henry concluded. The coffeepot had been emptied—mostly by Robin, but Henry had had some. Robin took a moment to respond. It was insane, all of it. Hit by a car? The Ellimist? Alternate universe? Of course, the alternate universe bit made the most since of all—different dimensions were certainly not unheard of. Raven was _born_ in one. The entirety of Azarath lay in its own, special dimension. Henry's "alternate universe" explanation was an extension of that. It was, however, a little hard to swallow the fact that he was merely a fictional character. That was like saying that Wolverine was real, or Pikachu. Hell, even _Mario_ might have his own world. But that wasn't the important thing. At the moment, what Robin knew for sure was that Henry was here, and that he couldn't go anywhere due to his lack of government identity. While it was true that he and Cyborg could whip up an identity, to have it validated, he would need to enlist the help of… higher authority. Robin knew him as Bruce Wayne, the Batman. However, it would be a lot of effort to get it all validated and set up, and he wasn't going to bother his former mentor with this issue. It would be the first they had spoken in years, and it was not going to be Robin asking Batman for help. No, the Boy Wonder was still too proud to go to the Dark Knight. This would be something he would solve on his own.

"So Henry," Robin began. "It's seven in the morning, Raven is on the roof, and the other Titans are still sleeping. Follow me," he instructed, and walked to the elevator. Intrigued, Henry followed. He stepped into the elevator, and stood silently as the doors closed. The elevator began to drop, and after a short while the doors opened again. Henry stepped out into a huge room—it must've as large as three tennis courts laid end to end. It was yellow in color, with a square pattern over the walls. Large black burn marks showed that the room had been used often. The room was bigger than what he thought would be possible given the Tower's dimensions, but then he remembered that the Tower was on an island. This must have been under the Tower, and underwater in some areas.

"This is the training room, Henry," Robin announced, and with a small smile on his place. This was great—showing off to someone new. Robin hadn't been able to introduce it to the Titans, seeing as though they were there when it was built. Terra had never really been down here, and if she had, it would have been Beast Boy showing her around, not Robin. Not that it mattered. "This room is equipped with state-of-the-art technology, more advanced than what the public will see for decades."

"This… this is amazing!" Henry said in awe, watching as two turrets came out of the ground. They were gray, and round in shape. The twin barrels on each of the turrets extended away from Henry. Suddenly, they swiveled towards him.

"Training starts now. By the way, those lasers hurt," Robin added, then leapt away as the turrets began shooting at Henry in slow, once-per-second bursts. Henry gave a cry of surprise, and began running and zigzagging to avoid being hit. Robin did multiple backflips until he was safely out of the away. He tapped the wall, and a control panel popped out. After several buttons were pressed and a few settings were changed, Robin turned back to view his handiwork. Different structures rose out of the floor, blocking Henry's path. They were different heights, and Henry nearly tripped over a short floor tile. Some of the obstacles were curved, others were hexagons, and some were like rocks. The turrets continued blasting away at Henry, who was now breathing hard.

"Robin!" he called. "You" pant "are "pant "insane!" Unfortunately for Henry, stopping to yell at Robin had caused him to not notice the turret fire, and a beam caught him in the left arm. "Agh!" Henry yelled in pain, grabbing his left upper arm. "That hurts!" he yelled again, still running. He let his arm go, otherwise he might get hit again.

"Find a way to disable the turrets!" Robin called out. He was enjoying this—it was pretty entertaining to see Henry run around like an idiot. Besides, Robin had to have _some_ fun once in a while. Henry, however, was finding it a _lot_ less funny. He jumped onto a raised floor tile, and onto another and another, until he was higher than the turrets. He ran across a long wall that had been raised, and jumped onto a turret. His outstretched foot had impaled the metal thing, shutting down the turret. The other turret fired, but could not raise its barrels to aim directly at Henry, so the lasers merely bounced off the side of the destroyed turret. Henry looked at the other turret. It was still a few yards away, and he lacked the ability Robin had to jump that far. So what was he going to do? Then he realized: powers. He jumped down from the top of the ruined sentry and landed, one knee falling to the floor. He got up from that position by beginning a run forward. Of course, twin lasers came at him, but they struck the palms of Henrys' hands. He focused on absorbing their energy, willing it to enter his body and become a part of him. It worked. Realizing this, Henry gave small "Yes!" before continuing towards the final sentry. The laser blasts, but each time Henry absorbed the yellow energy. He felt the energy flow through him, filling him, making him feel like someone had electrically massaged the inside of his body. It was weird, but not painful. Uncomfortable, yes, but it didn't hurt. He jumped into the air, using some of the absorbed energy to enhance the power in his legs. He easily cleared the height of the turret, and landed on a platform next to it. As the turret rotated to shoot him again, Henry thrust his right hand forward. Out of his palm came a shock wave—Henry had given a lot of the energy within him to caused extreme compression of the air, which traveled straight to the sentry. The barrels were blown off, and the rotating silver top of it flew into the air, landing a few feet away with a clatter. Robin clapped his hands a few times.

"Nice job Henry, but this only the beginning." Robin called out, and pressed another button on the control panel next to him. Four panels in the ceiling slid open, and a dozen or so little flying robots flew out. Each was two feet across, with twin propellers keeping the small, shiny body in air. The panels retracted, and the robots began to fly in a circle around Henry. Individually, they fired, causing Henry to yelp in surprise and pain from each shot. No matter where he turned, the shot always came from behind. Realizing this, he absorbed the next few shots. He had an idea, and was about to test it. He jumped upwards again, allotting a small amount of the absorbed energy to his jump. This time felt different—he felt like had a small electric shot running through his body. _Electric… hm…_ Henry said to himself. In the air, Henry put both hands down at angle, and shot a jolt of electricity towards the robots. The electric shock arced from robot to robot, each short-circuiting in turn as he landed. The pile of robots sat in a ring around the teenager. Henry wore a confident grin on his face. It came off of his face quickly when a hole appeared in the floor, making a loud _thud_ as the panel moved. A robotic arm came out, and Henry got into a fighting stance—well, what he thought would be one. He had only ever seen movies and TV shows, so perhaps it wasn't the best. However, it didn't matter, as the robotic arm merely began retrieving the grounded flying robots. Henry stepped out of the ring, looking towards Robin. To his surprise, Robin wasn't at the control panel. Henry began to turn to look for Robin when all of a sudden, he heard a small explosion. The area around him filled with smoke, and he unexpectedly began flying to his right. When Henry be oriented again, he realized that he had been kicked by Robin. He saw the area of smoke where he had just been standing. Two small objects flew out of it. Henry recognized them as birdarangs, but all too late. They flew near Henry, and suddenly he felt a thin wire wrap around him very quickly. Henry fell over, the birdarangs on his chest laying neatly. Robin dropped down from seemingly nowhere.

"Surprise," the leader said. Henry struggled against the wire, wriggling to be free.

"C'mon, Robin, that's cheating. I didn't even know you were going to fight me," Henry complained. This was for two reasons: One, he needed to buy time to think of a way out, and two, it really wasn't fair.

"What happens when run into the H.I.V.E. Five? Or Mumbo again? Do you think that _they'll_ fight fair?" Robin asked rhetorically, standing over Henry, who was still trying to find a way out.

"Fine, Robin. Just let me out," Henry said. Robin obliged, clicking the top of the birdarangs. The wire disappeared around Henry, whose eyes opened wide in shock. "How… how did that work?"

"Inside the birdarangs are a little wheel. By pressing the button, it disconnected in the middle and the wheel turned to retrieve the wire. It's like an automatic spool," Robin explained. "It happens so fast you don't even realize it." Suddenly, Henry collapsed. Robin dropped to grab him. "Henry! You alright?" Henry waved his hand.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm just… tired," he explained. "I don't know—one second I was fine, then the next I felt exhausted. I think that's one of the things that go with my powers." Robin nodded.

"We'll look into this later. Can you stand?" Robin asked, holding his back and chest. Henry rose slowly, his knees shaking. "Okay, now try walking," the traffic light-colored teen instructed. Henry took a step, and slowly but surely he made it to the elevator. When they got in, Henry leaned against the wall, clutching his head.

"Oh, man, my head is _killing_ me," Henry moaned. When the elevator opened up to the main room in the Tower, Henry slowly wandered over to the kitchen. Robin walked ahead of him, and pulled a small bottle out of a cabinet. Opening it, he removed two small white pills.

"Take these," Robin told Henry. The boy did as instructed by popping them into his mouth. Henry swallowed, and a sour look came on his face. Robin looked at him strangely. "Don't you need water?"

"Nope," Henry replied smugly. "I can take pills without anything. It's something I got from my dad."

"That is… interesting," replied Robin. Henry then had an idea—a crazy, stupid idea.

"Robin, get me a fork please," Henry said, looking around for something. Ah—there it was! He saw what he was looking for. Robin handed him a fork.

"Why do you need a fork?" asked Robin. He was confused, but followed Henry as he walked over to a spot on the wall.

"Now, this should work, or be really painful," the dimensionally-displaced teen said, folding the fork next to the outlet. Robin realized immediately what Henry was going to do.

"Henry, this is a bad idea," Robin warned. "You could seriously injured."

"I'll risk it," replied the foolhardy teen, then plunged the forks' prongs into the outlet. What followed was one of the most bizarre things Robin watched in his life. Henry stood perfectly still, but the fork began to spark. The lights in the kitchen began to flicker. The end of the fork glowed as Henry absorbed the electricity from the outlet. The fork started to glow, and still Henry held it.

"Um, Henry, you should let go," Robin cautioned, slowly backing up. "Like, right now." Henry listened, and removed the fork from the outlet, the end yellow. "How do you feel?" Henry's grin stretched from ear to ear, and if it were possible, would have come off of his face.

"Electric," was his reply. "I feel _really_ good, like I just had a long, hot shower, ate a filling meal, and I just had a great night's sleep." And that's exactly how he _did_ feel—but there was something else, too: a charge. It flowed throughout his body, mostly in his gut. He felt like he was a battery. He could almost taste the electricity on his tongue. That must have been the energy he absorbed; perhaps each type of energy felt different? He would find out later. Then, the sound of the elevator door opening caused Henry to turn around, and out came Cyborg.

"Did you guys see that?" he asked, sounding worried. Henry and Robin shook their heads. "There was a rapid power drain just moments ago. It pulled energy from all over the Tower to one location—here," Cyborg continued, pointing at the outlet Henry was near.

"Sorry, Cyborg, it was me," Henry apologized.

"You?" Cyborg asked, confused.

"It's one of his powers," Robin explained. "He can absorb energy, and I guess he can convert it too. I took him to the training room earlier, to see what he can do right now."

"Yeah, and you CHEATED," Henry said, crossing his arms.

"Well, listen, that's cool and all, but be careful next time," Cyborg replied. "If you want, I can set up a power-draining station for you."

"That would great, Cyborg!" Henry said. "So, now what do we do?"

"Well, it is about time for breakfast," Robin said. "Starfire will be up soon, and Beast Boy will be up whenever, so I think it's time for—"

"I'll get started on the waffles!" Cyborg interjected excitedly, and immediately went to the kitchenette to get started.

"Before you start, Cyborg, I have an idea," Henry said, walking to Cyborg. What if you put chocolate chips in the waffle batter?" Cyborg stopped moving.

"Chocolate chips?" The cyborg thought aloud. "IN the waffles? That might work…"

* * *

Somewhere on the far side of Jump City, a man that wasn't really a man walked into a bar. Now this wasn't a public bar. Technically it was, but if you were smart, you didn't go there. This was the place that the dangerous criminals went—the ones that didn't have special powers. These were normal people, save for their desire for crime. The regulars here weren't stupid, either, because they didn't do anything worthy of the Titans' attention. They knew they were no much for the superheroes, and so they kept low. The thug from the previous night walked in.

"Alright, maggots, listen up," he announced. One of the men at the bar turned around.

"Listen, pal, you keep your damn mouth shut. You ain't no one to call us mag—" was all he said before the newcomer raised his hand and shot a green glob of _something_ onto his face. The victim of the attack's face was completely covered. His screams were muffled by the green stuff, and he struggled in vain to remove it with his hands. After a few moments, the man stopped struggling.

"Now then, is there anyone else who wants to speak up?" Nobody did. The bar was silent. "Good. Change is coming to Jump City. There will be a new order, and it will spread across the world. We will become kings—no, GODS! Who is with me?" The bar cheered, and the man-not-man chuckled evilly. _Good,_ he thought. _Good…_

* * *

**That's chapter five! WOW! I can't believe we're already this far! I guess that I was able to update a new chapter today… tomorrow I leave for Philmont, so this may be it for a few weeks. But don't lose hope! I'll be back, ready to whip out more chapters as soon as I can! Thanks again to everyone reading this—you guys are amazing, seriously. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far, and to those that will! Thanks for all the support so far, it means a lot to me. Feel free to review or PM me. Tell me what you liked, what you didn't, what I should improve or include, or if you have any ideas for Henry and the Titans. Just keep in mind that there IS a major story arc planned, so any ideas will be minor things. I promise this: Slade will not be a part of this. Slade is gone, done with, goodbye. Won't see him around. That's about all I have for today. Bye, and have a fan-freaking-tastic day!**

**-Cortexin**


	6. The Humor Chapter

**AN: Sorry, we interrupt your scheduled chapter with something else: a humor chapter. This chapter is supposed to be funny. It is also 'canon' with the **_**Henry's Story**_** universe. This does not happen chronologically after the previous chapter, but rather in an indeterminate amount of time in the future where Henry has joined the team. If this seems like a spoiler, sorry, but you should have been able to figure out that Henry will join at some point. This IS a Teen Titans OC fic, and that is to be expected. This serves to be a piece where I don't think out what happens next in the story line, seeing as that I have limited time, and using premade material is much easier than creating original. (Wait, this is **_**fanfiction**_** we're talking about, soooo… I digress). Without further ado, here is my version of John Mulaney's **_**The Best Meal I've Ever Had.**_

Beast Boy and Henry walked into the Titan's main room, laughing hysterically. Their arms were over each other's shoulder, and they were clutching their guts.

"Oh, man!" Beast Boy said between breaths once they had calmed down. "That was _the _best meal I've ever had!"

"What made it so great, grass stain?" Cyborg asked from the couch, pausing his racing game with Robin.

"We'll tell you," replied the changeling, "but you ALL have to be here."

"Yeah," added Henry, "you don't wanna miss this." Once all the Titans were seated on the couch, Beast Boy stood up, glancing at Henry.

"This took place at the normal pizza place we go to, Pizza Corner. It's a wonderful family restaurant, but being in Jump, that means it caters mostly to teenagers and homeless schizophrenics. And us of course." Cyborg let out a small chuckle. "Now, Henry and I walk into this place for lunch, and we see that they have a jukebox. This jukebox was three plays for a dollar. Pretty cheap, right? So, we put in seven dollars, and selected twenty-one plays of Tom Jones' _What's New Pussycat?_"

"I didn't know you listened to that kind of music, Beast Boy," Robin said. The green teen continued, Henry smiling.

"And then we ordered, and waited. Here's the thing about when _What's New Pussycat? _plays over and over again. The second time it plays, you don't think, 'oh man, somebody played _What's New Pussycat? _again.' You think, 'wow, _What's New Pussycat? _is a lot _longer_ than I thought, and it has a dip in the middle.' You know how songs like _November Rain_ have a dip, and you think it's over? The third time you're thinking that _maybe _someone's playing it again. The _fourth_ time, you think 'whoa. Someone just played _What's New Pussycat? _four times, or they played it twice, and it's a _really_ long song." Here, all of the Titans laughed a little, even Raven. But she quickly hid her laughter. Beast Boy waited until they stopped, and then he continued.

"So, the FIFTH time is the kicker. We're watching the entire diner at this point, and most people have gotten wind of what's going on. Henry and I are watching this one guy, sitting in his booth, his hands are shaking while his stupid kids jump around. He's been onto us since the beginning, and he's staring at his coffee cup and he's got this look on his face like, he's _just_ gotten his thirty-day chip from anger management. Anyway, now the fourth play fades out. It's dead quiet… And then, I don't know if you know this, but the song begins, _very subtlety_… BWOMP bwomp, '_what's new pussycat?'_ and the guy goes 'GOD DAMN IT!' and he smashes his fists on the table. Silverware goes flying, it was faaan-tastic." Now, the others are laughing a little harder, including Raven, and a light in the kitchen pops.

"Sorry," she muttered. Beast Boy continues.

"But a word about Henry, and what a genius he was."

"You flatter," Henry interrupted.

"Now, when we were up at the jukebox, punching in _What's New Pussycat?_'s. Now, I put in about seven before he goes to me and says, 'Beast Boy, wait. Let's put in one _It's Not Unusual_ in the mix,' and punches one in. That is when the afternoon went from good to GREAT. After _seven_ _What's New Pussycat?_'s IN A ROW, suddenly…. Dun, dundun, dun-dun-nanana-dun, '_It's not unusual,_' and the SIGH of RELIEF just sweeps through the diner. It was like the liberation of France! For years, people have wondered if you can make grown men and women weep tears of joy when they hear '_It's Not Unusual,_' and I tell you what: you can. But _only_ if it's preceded by seven _What's New Pussycat?_'s." He paused, gaining composure.

"And on the other hand, when we went back. '_It's Not Unusual_' fades out… It's dead quiet…" Beast Boy pauses, for effect. The other Titans are practically leaning forward in their seats to hear. "Holy crap. It's dead quiet… BWOMP bwomp, '_What's new pussycat?_' and the diner goes _nuts!_ People went insane. _Nobody_ could handle it," and apparently, neither could the Titans. They're all busted a gut, and not even exploding lights in the kitchen distracted them. But after a while, Best Boy was allowed to continue.

"They were surrounded by this seemingly-indifferent staff. They're like 'yep, same stuff as usual.' They unplugged the jukebox after _eleven_ plays, and _that_ was the best meal I've ever had."

"Y'know, BB, why haven't we done this before?" asked Cyborg, wiping a tear from his good eye.

"It was Henry's idea," Beast Boy offered.

"Henry," Cyborg announced, "someday you and I are going to do this, just so I can see what it looks like. But we'll have to pick a different song… Maybe 'Gangnam Style'…"

**That's it! I hoped you enjoyed it, because this is all you've got for the next two and a half weeks! Sorry guys, but this is it. Please go check out the original thing on youtube. Type in 'The best meal I've ever had,' and you'll see it. Click the first video that pops up. You will bust a gut. Seriously, watch it. I cannot stress that enough. If you review, tell me what you think of the original and how good I did covering it. That's all for now, guys—thanks for all of the support I've gotten from you all! If you want, tell your friends about my story. I would love to have more people to entertain. Okay, now I'm just stalling… I don't want to stop typing, because once I do, I'll upload this, and then I have to go over my pack and make sure my shirts are dry, and that will mean I'm leaving. I guess I have to. See all you wonderful people later. Have a fan-freaking-tastic day!**

**-Cortexin**


	7. Waffles and Great Green Globs

**What is UP y'all? Cortexin is BACK and ready for action! I have rested the past few days, re-adjusting to life in civilization. The past two weeks have been flipping **_**amazing**_**. Hiking and camping in the New Mexican backcountry in the biggest youth camp in the world is fantastic! I cannot describe how awesome Philmont is. Seriously. Just read about it. I climbed a mountain, I saw the real night sky for the first time (because seeing it in the city just doesn't cut it), and I bonded with some really awesome people. It's an experience that I will NEVER forget for as long as I exist as [subject name here]. The mountain I climbed is Mount Baldy (so named due to its bald appearance), which rises over 12,000 feet above sea level. That's pretty far up for someone who's lived in [subject hometown here], which is only about 600 feet above sea level. But enough is enough—you guys have been patiently waiting for more to this story. So without any further ado (whatever **_**ado**_** is), here is the next installation of **_**Henry's Saga—I Mean Story.**_

* * *

**NOTE: This occurs chronologically after chapter 5.**

_**When we last saw Henry, it was about to be waffle time…**_

_"Before you start, Cyborg, I have an idea," Henry said, walking to Cyborg. What if you put chocolate chips in the waffle batter?" Cyborg stopped moving._

_"Chocolate chips?" The cyborg thought aloud. "IN the waffles? That might work…"_

And it did work. Cyborg cursed himself for not thinking of this sooner—how could he not have? Chocolate and waffles were some of the best things in the world (not above his precious T-Car, of course), and he hadn't had the idea of putting them together! Of course, his stomach didn't care whose idea it had been. All it knew was that chocolate chips plus waffles equals good. Syrup was also an interesting variable in the equation, making the end result delicious. Cyborg was not alone in his rapid consumption of the breakfast treats. Henry had nearly devoured as many as Cyborg had, and was gaining on him in terms of sheer amount eaten. Each had nearly eaten 20 waffles when Starfire came down, floating.

"Good morning, friends!" she greeted cheerfully. Robin muttered a 'morning, Star,' as he tried to grab a waffle before it was ripped into by either Henry or Cyborg. Luckily for the Boy Wonder, the two waffle fiends were also busy saying good morning to Starfire. Robin snatched a waffle from both of them, and grinned as he started into one. Starfire looked at the scene. "Friend Cyborg, why do the waffles have small brown spots in them?"

"They're chocolate chips," offered Henry, as Cyborg had already begun another one. "Have one," and he put a waffle onto a plate. Starfire collected it, and picked up the plate. When the Titans later recounted what happened after she tasted the first waffle, it would be in hushed tones…

Robin: "The waffles disappeared into seemingly thin air…"

Cyborg: "She took a waffle _out of my throat!_"

Henry: "Her jaw unhinged like a snake…"

Raven: "I felt a wave of disturbance from the dining area…"

Beast Boy: "Dude! It was so cool!"

Cyborg: "You weren't even awake at the time!"

Starfire (eyes glowing): "WAFFLES!"

It was something that would terrify the Titans for weeks to come. At the present, however, a green glow dashed through the kitchen, and in its wake waffles disappeared. Waffles disappeared before they even came out of the waffle iron. When Starfire re-appeared, the area around her mouth was smeared with chocolate, and she held her hand above her mouth. Opening it to huge proportions, she dropped in several more waffles. After a moment of chewing and swallowing, Starfire looked at the stunned Robin, Henry, and Cyborg.

"What?" she giggled. Then came a shockwave not unlike a nuclear blast. Windows shattered as Starfire's burp traveled outwards. Up on the roof of the Tower, Raven collapsed as she lost focus. Beast Boy's sensitive ears detected it milliseconds before the full force struck him, and instantly changed into something small before he awoke. "Excuse me," the alien apologized. A dark portal opened, and out stepped Raven.

"What… happened?" she asked, looking for any threats.

"You don't want to know," Henry said quickly, still staring Starfire. Moments later, Beast Boy bounded into the room, appearing as a green wolf. He turned back into himself.

"Dudes, that was a twelve out of ten! Who did it?" he asked, grinning. Slowly, the three who were present pointed at Starfire. "Star? Awesome! Gimme five!" he said as he raised his hand for the gesture. Starfire returned it, confused.

"Twelve out of ten? Is that not an impossible number due to the fact that—" started the alien princess, but Robin interrupted, finally out of his burp-stupor.

"It's a rating, Star. He's rating your burp," Robin explained.

"It's something immature he does," Raven continued. Just then, the alarms went off, and the map of Jump City appeared instantly. Henry and the Titans ran to it, noticing where the attack—attacks, in this case—were happening. He nearly laughed when he saw the place at the center of the trouble.

"The corner of Stan Street and Lee Avenue," Robin muttered.

"What's there?" asked Henry, still trying not to laugh.

"A comic book store, a jewelry store, basically a bunch of stores," Cyborg said, noticing Henry. _I'll ask him later, he thought._

"Titans, GO!" instructed Robin, and out the window they went.

"Raven, do the thing you did last time!" called Henry, not wanting to be left behind. Wordlessly, the empath replied by creating Henry's stand.

"Let's try not to make a habit of this," she murmured to herself. A minute later the six teens landed in the middle of what was an all-out break-in. All of the stores in the immediate vicinity had broken into, with shattered pieces of glass everywhere. What was most noticeable, however, was the fact that there were several men at each store, working in an assembly line of sorts to move stolen items to a large truck. Near the truck stood a dark-haired man, with what looked like a green hood or hat, except it looked… gooey. Slimy. Maybe even _alive_. Then he turned around—away from the Titans and Henry—and they saw something horrible. The 'hood' was actually the top of what it would look like if you took a bear pelt, turned it into a green slime, and then stuck on the back of a person. It was like it was controlling the man like a puppet, except that it was _on_ him.

"Eeewww…" complained Beast Boy, "It's all nasty and green!"

"Beast Boy, _you're_ green," deadpanned Raven.

"So? That doesn't mean I like other green things—" started the changeling, when the dark-haired man with green slime turned towards them. He grinned.

"Ahh…. Titans," the man announced. His voice was sharp, and sent shivers down Henry's spine. It sounded like ice breaking under your foot when you went on the pond that you weren't supposed to be on. It sounded like the door creaking even though it couldn't because you locked it, and you were home alone. It sounded like that thing that went bump in the night, and it was coming closer. Yes, his voice sounded like many things. To Robin, the voice had a hint of Slade. Starfire heard the taunting of her sister Blackfire. Raven caught the undertones of Trigon, and for a moment, fear flashed through her. Beast Boy would swear that the thing speaking sounded like his uncle. Cyborg tensed when he thought he heard Brother Blood's calling*. Henry wouldn't realize who—or what—he recognized in the voice until much later. But at the time, the heroes froze, partially in fear, partially in shock. The man chuckled.

"Glad to see you could come join me today. But I'm so sorry, I'm busy. You'll have to reschedule your appointment," taunted the enemy. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have… _other_ matters to attend to." With that, the man raised his hand, and out shot three green globs. Each then grew into a shape similar to that of a person, and they charged at the teens.

"Titans, GO!" shouted Robin for the second time that day. "Star, with me. Cyborg and Beast Boy, you two get one. Raven, you can get the third one." With that said, he threw birdarangs at the glob. It absorbed them, with seemingly no affect. Starfire rose into the air, and threw several starbolts at the creature. It sizzled where they hit, but still the thing advanced. Meanwhile, Beast Boy had tried several different ways of smashing the goo. First was rhinoceros charge, which ended in the glop splitting in two, then merging back together. Then he slashed at it with a lion's paw, to no avail. Finally, he grabbed it with pteranodon feet and dropped it from high in the air. It splattered on the ground, but slowly pulled itself back together.

"Cy, man, do something!" cried the green teen as he avoided the blobby green thing's lunge. The cyborg responded by turning his arm into his signature sonic cannon.

"Booyah!" he exclaimed, shooting a blue streak of sonic energy at the creature. After a few seconds, Cyborg stopped, confident that he had beaten it. Burnt black, the thing stopped moving. But a moment later, a green crack appeared in the black form, and the creature poured out of it, quickly turning back into a humanoid shape. The black shell left behind crumbled into dust. Until now, Raven had been merely avoiding her opponent, instead watching her teammates try and fight them, to learn any weaknesses. So far, there were none. Finally, she decided to throw a few of her own black discs of energy. They sliced through the thing's arm, but it quickly returned to its body by attaching to the leg and moving back to its original position.

_That was definitely weird_, though Henry from the side. Robin hadn't told him to do anything yet, but he didn't want to just sit there. After watching the Titans try and fight the things, Henry concluded that part of the solution was to split the things apart. Granted, he knew the others had figured that out by now, but still, knowing that much was better than knowing nothing. Perhaps if they destroyed them when the pieces were smaller? That gave him an idea.

"Raven!" he called, running towards her and the green thing. " Blast it when I say to!"

"Why?" she called back, questioning why he was telling her what to do.

"Because I have an idea!" Henry yelled in return. "Just trust me!" Then he turned to face the green humanoid thing. "Hey, slimy! Come here!" The thing turned his way, and charged. Henry got into a stance he believed would give him as much air as possible. Five years in choir would finally come into use outside of singing _Born This Way_ or _Zing dem Herrn**._ He knew breathing. In went the air, and when the thing was about to be within arm distance, Henry let out a mighty shout, pushing his head forward and swinging his arms back. "FUS RO **DAH!**" The sound wave reverberated outwards as a shockwave much stronger than that of Starfire's belch that morning. Visible compressions of the air came out in rings from around Henry's mouth, blasting the green glob into a billion droplets of goo. Raven flew sideways to avoid the shockwaves, which continued onward for the length of a football field before finally dissipating. Henry buckled to a knee, holding himself up with the opposite arm. Raven flew over and landed near him, putting a hand on his back.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice filled with slightly more concern than usual. Which is to say, not a lot. Had it been Beast Boy… well, she might have eventually gone over to him, but chances were that she would take her sweet time to get there. Henry, however, was still a stranger. A stranger with powers. Powers she didn't quite yet know, so she was uncertain as to whether or not they would kill him in the process of using him.

"Yeah," he replied, "Blast it!" he said weakly, pointing towards the pieces. They had begun to come back together, forming little balls of goo rolling towards a center spot.

"No you don't!" exclaimed the empathy, sending out a blast from her hand. The pieces vaporized instantly, leaving nothing but a small reddish crystal in its place. She called it over to her by surrounding it in black energy, and it floated into her hand. The moment she touched it, she felt immense power radiating from it. There was an odd feeling behind it—the feeling of age, of eternity. Raven dropped it when she saw Henry fall. A quick check-over lead Raven to determine that he had fallen unconscious. That would be it for now, so she flew over to Robin and Starfire. Cyborg and Beast Boy had seen—and heard—Henry's display, and so decided that it was a good idea. The changeling transformed into horse and turned about, kicking the head of the goo-thing. Part of it splattered, but it was enough. Cyborg blasted it with his arm cannon again, and vaporized the body and head in one blast. Another crystal dropped down in its place. Robin had taken his bo staff and swung it at the thing's midsection, slicing through. Raven grabbed hold of the top half and lifted it with her powers, as Starfire blasted the bottom with a burst of starbolts. Raven then proceeded to rip apart the top half, each piece disappearing.

"Woo-hoo! We did it!" cheered Beast Boy, jumping in place.

"We're not done yet," Robin pointed out, motioning to the groups of men who had stopped moving things into the truck. They had started running in all sorts of directions, but all ran away from the Titans. Cries of "let's get out of here!" and "oh crap!" were heard from all over. "Get them!" ordered Robin, but the only one close enough was being held by Cyborg. He struggled as the Titan held him with one hand. Robin ran over to him.

"Who are you working for?" he demanded. The criminal coughed.

"His name… his name is—" he started, but a dart suddenly appeared on his neck. The Titans looked over to where it had come from—the truck. The green-backed man from before sat in the driver's seat.

"Goodbye for now, Titans," he called out. "Perhaps we'll meet again…" The truck started moving, but suddenly disappeared in a flash of light similar in color to that of the crystals. The man in Cyborg's hand went limp, but was still breathing. Raven flew over, carrying Henry on a plate of energy.

"How's Henry?" Robin asked, looking at the unconscious teen.

"Fine. He passed out after his little… shout, and so it will be a while before he comes to." Just then, the Jump City police arrived on the scene. An officer stepped out of one of the cars and approached the group of teens.

"What happened?" asked the cop in gruff voice. He was short, slightly overweight, and balding. Looking at him, you'd expect a box of donuts in his car.

"Some green globby thing had a bunch of his henchmen break in here. We're not sure what for," Robin quickly explained. "This is one of them—" he motioned to the man in Cyborg's arms "—and we're not sure what happened to him. Take him to the hospital. Let us know when he wakes up."

"Will do," replied the police officer, taking him into his own arms. Struggling, he carried him back to the police vehicle. The Titans looked around, seeing the damaged shops. Various comic books, pieces of jewelry, and furniture lay in the street among other items. Beast Boy got a gleam in his eye.

"Hey Cyborg," the green teen started to say. "What do you say we, ahem, _inspect_ the comic book store? You know, for _evidence?_" He started to slowly walk over there with Cyborg in tow, but Raven grabbed the back of his outfit.

"No."

"Fine," the changeling replied, sighing. Then Robin spoke up.

"Looks like our work here is done. Let's get back to the Tower," he instructed. Starfire flew over and grabbed Robin, and Beast Boy grabbed Cyborg's shoulders with his feet. Raven looked over at the laying form of Henry. She let out a sigh. She did _not_ want to constantly carry Henry around, especially if he kept up this habit of knocking himself out. _Don't worry, Raven,_ she told herself as she scooped up Henry, one arm behind his back and one under his knees, _he won't be here too long. Once Robin and Cyborg figure where to put him, you'll never have to deal with this guy again._ Putting it like that, it almost put  
Henry in a villainous light. She brushed off the thoughts as she flew into the air. Hopefully, none of Jump City's stupid reporters would snag a picture of this. That was about the _last_ thing she needed. Of course, unknown to Raven at the time, that very thing was happening. The worst in Jump City, Nellie McDull was renowned for her horrible articles. Not that they were badly-written, it's just that she always wrote about something nobody cared about. The number of lost shoes in Jump, the economics of the candle industry, and whether or not organic bananas were more radioactive than normal bananas. She didn't have a choice, though. Her boss was practically deaf, dumb, and blind in the sense that he ignored her please for better stories. But, it paid the bills and kept the fridge mostly filled, so Nellie stuck with it. Seeing Raven now, however, got her thinking.

_I knew it was smart to buy that camera,_ she thought, snapping several photos of Raven picking up and carrying the new hero. Once she got a few more, she would take them to work. Seeing as though the news—both the _Jump City Times_ and the major news channel, Channel 7—were run by JCN Inc., she could get a chance to go big in both places at the same time. Meanwhile, Raven was flying back to the tower, carrying Henry, when her Emoticlones spoke up. _You know, Raven, you still don't know why he's here._ Knowledge spoke-thought. _You still haven't beaten him up!_ added Brave. _He seems nice…_ Timid put in timidly (shocker, right?). Of course, Happy added the remark that made Raven fluster. _He's pretty cute!_ Luckily, the others were in front of Raven. The empath silenced her inner voices with _SHUT. UP._ She needed to focus on flying, and not dropping Henry. While she didn't necessarily like or dislike him, she doubted killing him was a good idea. And it's not like heroes were allowed to do that anyway. _Goodness gracious, Raven, what is WRONG with you today? _She asked herself, thinking of her recent thoughts.

When all the Titans were in the Tower, Raven placed Henry on the couch. Robin had called the Titans to his evidence room, and when they were all present, he shut the door.

"Alright, there's something we need to talk about before I look into today's criminal," he began. "As you know, we have recently had a new person drop into our lives."

"Literally," Beast Boy added, before shushing so Robin could continue.

"Henry has an unusual set of powers, which we are still figuring out. We don't know much about him, but with conversations with him and samples of his blood, we do know this: Henry comes from somewhere else. He claims an alternate universe, where we are nothing but cartoon characters. His blood test doesn't match anyone else that's registered, and no government has any records of him. Ever. So either he's telling the truth, or he's really, really good at removing traces of himself." The remaining Titans looked at him with surprise—they each knew some of what Robin had told them, but nobody had known all of it. For a moment, it was silent. Then Beast Boy spoke up.

"There's no _way_ I'm a cartoon character! At least make me some sort of comic book star!"

"Yeah!" agreed Cyborg. "Maybe even be a video game character. That's be cool." Robin smacked his face with his hand.

"Guys, _focus_. That's not the point. The point is that we now have a powerful person out there, and we're going to need some more help in taking them down. We can't call Titans East or the other Honorary Titans, because they all have places to guard as well. I guess what I'm trying to ask is—how do you guys feel about Henry joining us?" Immediately, there were two squeals of joy. Unsurprisingly, it was Beast Boy and Starfire.

"This is most glorious!" cried out the alien.

"Awesome, dude!" Beast Boy exclaimed.

"Quiet, guys!" Cyborg hushed. "We don't wanna wake him. This is… kinda secret. But I agree that it's smart to boost our firepower." The Titans turned to Raven.

"As much as we need the help—which isn't a whole lot—we need to remember the last time we had someone join our team. Terra almost destroyed Jump City, and she worked for Slade."

"She was just confused!" an emotional Beast Boy argued. "She didn't know any better, and she couldn't control her powers that mmph!" Cyborg put a hand over the green teen's mouth.

"You are correct, friend Raven," Starfire admitted, floating down to the ground. "We must be the careful with picking someone new." Beast Boy turned into a dog and moved, then turned back into his normal self.

"I'm also saying that Henry is different. He came from _another freaking universe_, and he doesn't have anywhere to go," he said calmly, despite still having a trace of wetness in the corners of his eyes. "If not for help, then I say we let him stay to be nice. He's a friend, to me if no one else." Here he crossed his arms. Raven stood speechless for a moment.

"That… was actually well-put, Beast Boy. I'm surprised you had the cognitive function to realize that." Raven said, instantly realizing that she may have been a little harsh with the whole "cognitive function" part. Luckily, he could only reply with 'cogni-whaa?', so she didn't feel too bad.

"So it looks like nobody is extremely against the idea," Robin noted, shifting in his stance. "I think the best plan is to wait a few days before making a final decision." The others nodded in approval. "Good, then we're agreed. You can all go now. I'm going to look more into our mysterious opponent today."

As the Titans left Robin's evidence room, Raven looked over at the unconscious form of Henry. She walked over to him, and place a hand on his wrist, trying to sense for any injuries from the fight. Of course, that was the moment that Henry regained consciousness. Seeing his opportunity to say something stupid, he took it.

"Geez Raven, if you wanted to hold hands, you shoulda just said something to me," he grinned. Raven immediately removed her hand and walked away.

"Boys," she muttered to herself. It was time for some meditation on the roof. It was going to be a _long_ day, and it wasn't even 11 o'clock yet.

* * *

Elsewhere in Jump, the villain from earlier sat in the bar, looking at what he had stolen: furniture, as every evil needed a private lair, and it needed to be comfortable. Jewelry, as he needed _something_ to promise the goons. And the comic books? Well, he'd need _some_ inspiration. But now, it was time to plan. There was going to be a LOT of planning. He chuckled. If only Slade were still around. It would have been fun, watching the Titans pin everything on him. That'd make his plan easier—but the good things in life weren't easy to get.

* * *

**There you are! A bit longer—actually, I think this is the longest chapter yet! I hope you've enjoyed it. Let me know in a review, or PM. If there's anything you think should happen, also suggest it! I'm always open to new ideas. I'm glad to be back, and you guys can expect updates at least once a week! Well, I'll try to. I'm busy, but you guys and this story have a special place in my hearts! And I do mean that. It's very fulfilling to see people out there in the world, enjoying my work. Thanks especially to everyone who has reviewed, followed, and favorited the story so far, and thanks to those who will. Seeing those numbers go up increases my will and urge to write more, although I'm not going to **_**not**_** write if they don't. I write for the entertainment of myself, and I'm glad to have you all on board with me. So see you all next chapter, and have a fan-freaking-tastic day!**

—**Cortexin**

**EDIT: Added line breaks.**


	8. Titans Tourney Part 1 of 2

**_When we last saw Henry, he was being a total butt to Raven…_**

_As the Titans left Robin's evidence room, Raven looked over at the unconscious form of Henry. She walked over to him, and place a hand on his wrist, trying to sense for any injuries from the fight. Of course, that was the moment that Henry regained consciousness. Seeing his opportunity to say something stupid, he took it._

_"Geez Raven, if you wanted to hold hands, you shoulda just said something to me," he grinned. Raven immediately removed her hand and walked away._

_"Boys," she muttered to herself. It was time for some meditation on the roof. It was going to be a long day, and it wasn't even 11 o'clock yet._

* * *

Henry lay on the couch, buzzing his lips. Cyborg and Beast Boy were locked in a head-to-head battle onscreen, their cars grinding up against one another.

"Grass stain, there ain't no way you're beating me this time!" said the cyborg competitively.

"Dude, you are SO gonna lose!" replied the green Titan. Of course, Beast Boy was wrong, and Cyborg trounced the little changeling. As Beast Boy demanded a rematch, Henry spoke up.

"Hey guys, how about we do some training while Robin works on his project?" he suggested, receiving two glares from Cyborg and Beast Boy.

"Who are you, Robin?" replied Cyborg. "That's all he _ever_ wants us to do."

"Yeah, man!" Beast Boy agreed. "He'd probably be training right now if he wasn't looking up that crazy green guy." Raven looked up from her book.

"But you know it's what Robin would want," offered Raven, closing her book and standing up. "Let's go." Despite complaints of 'who put her in charge' from the green one, Henry, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven left for the elevator. They passed Starfire, who was busy in the kitchen creating _something_ out of the various ingredients. Perhaps to avoid a confrontation, perhaps because they thought training would be better with only four people, or perhaps for no reason at all, Henry and the Titans walked silently past her, with nothing but a 'byeStarwe'regoingtotrainnow' from Cyborg. The elevator doors closed before she could respond. As the elevator descended, music began to play:

_Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk that I'm a woman's man, no time to talk_

_Music loud and women warm, been kicked around since I was born._

Three of the people stood there while it played—the other sung and grooved along to the song. When the elevator reached the bottom, Cyborg opened his eyes to see Raven, Henry, and Beast Boy staring at him.

"What?" he defended. "It's a good song."

"True, but do you know who sings it?" Henry asked as they stepped out into the large training room.

"The Bee Gees, of course," replied the cyborg.

"Let them," Henry said, then walked over to the control panel on the wall. Cyborg stood still for a moment, raising a hand in protest, but then put it down, realizing he had been outwitted. Henry looked at the panel with confusion. Beast Boy came running up and slapped a couple buttons. "You know how this works?" he asked.

"Nope," replied Beast Boy, smiling broadly. Suddenly, a robotic voice came from around them.

**YOU HAVE SELECTED: TOURNEY**. A screen appeared on the wall, showing a small set of brackets and each of the Titans' heads. For Henry, a black outline of a face with a question mark on it stood in place. The heads began to switch rapidly between the four beginning positions, until finally slowing and stopping with the following matchups: Cyborg and Raven, and Beast Boy and Henry. **FIRST UP: CYBORG AND RAVEN**. The two looked at each other, then walked into the middle of the room. Four tiles rose into the air until there were about three yards tall. Four translucent blue beams of light generated between them, the low hum given off suggesting that maybe you didn't want to touch it. Beast Boy and Henry moved to a set of stadium seating that had popped out of the floor. They took a seat as the voice counted down: **FIVE. FOUR. THREE. TWO. ONE. BEGIN.** Evidently, this was a one-on-one challenge, as Cyborg let out a yell before charging Raven. Raven silently ran towards her teammate, her eyes focusing on him. Both of them knew exactly how it was going to end, and Cyborg was not going to be happy about it.

"Who're you rootin' for?" asked Beast Boy, still watching Cyborg and Raven. Henry took a moment before answering.

"Raven," he said. He looked at Beast Boy, who was still watching. "How about you?"

"Cy, but we both know Raven'll win."

"Hmm. You have a point." Henry replied. "If you know she's gonna win, then why not root for her?"

"I guess because I know sticking with my friend is better than trying to get her to li—" Beast Boy covered his mouth. Henry started to smirk. He knew how that sentence was going to end, partially from Beast Boy nearly slipping, and partially because of the obvious. He had _watched_ the show, and he had _read_ the wiki (and of course fanfictions, but that wasn't really something he was going to share with them, now, was he?), and like everyone else back home, he freaking _knew _Beast Boy had a crush on Raven.

"Aw, Beast Boy," Henry mocked, drawing his hands up to his chest and interlocking them, "that's so CYOOT!" Beast Boy jumped and put a hand over his mouth.

"Sssshhh, man! You can't let her hear!" he said quickly, looking over his shoulder towards the battle raging between his teammates. At the moment, Cyborg was hurtling through the air, yelling.

"Dude, I don't think she's paying attention to us right now," Henry returned. He smiled and put a hand on the changeling's shoulder. "Don't worry, man. Your secret is safe with me." _And about every other fan of this couple,_ he thought.

"Thanks dude," Beast Boy said. Just then, Cyborg came flying through the air again, landing right in front of the seated teens. One could imagine stars floating around his head. The voice of the announcer came on again. **RAVEN WINS. NEXT CHALLENGERS: BEAST BOY AND** GUEST, with the last word sounding sharper, as if it was a substitute file. The glowing light barriers disappeared, and Raven floated into the seats. Beast Boy and Henry shared a glance. Henry was grinning. Beast Boy was not. The dimensionally-dislocated teen chuckled and began to walk towards the arena. The green one followed him. As they walked, Henry thought about the upcoming 'fight.' He still needed to refill his energy, as he was getting dangerously low on 'juice.' He didn't want to run out facing Beast Boy.

"No hard feelings after this, right man?" asked Beast Boy from behind him.

"Not between us. What're you gonna do if you win against me? You'll have to face Raven, y'know."

"Yeah, I know. She beats me every time, so it doesn't matter." When they got to the middle of the arena, the two saw two black marks on the ground indicating where they should stand.

"May the best man win!" called Henry. Then the voice started. **BEAST BOY VERSUS **GUEST. **BEGIN.** The blue light barriers appeared with a loud _HMM_, and the battle was on.

Beast Boy was the first to move. He transformed into a ram, and charged, bleating. Henry was surprised at how quickly his new friend went straight into battle mode. Having practically no training, Henry knew only one thing: RUN. And that's exactly what he did. He ran towards Beast Boy, and at the last second jumped out of the way. Beast Boy's horn missed him by an inch. Henry turned around and saw his opponent pop back into his human form, before turning into a hawk, flying towards Henry. Henry stood dumbstruck—what was a hawk going to do? That question was answered when the hawk turned into Beast Boy and then into a hippo in the manner of one tenth of a second. The impact sent Henry flying backwards, and he smashed into one of the blue light barriers. It stung, but it wasn't going to kill him. He lay slumped against it. Beast Boy turned back into his normal form, standing a few yards away.

_What am I doing? _thought Henry. _I need energy—the light!_ In an instant, Henry turned and placed his hands on the barrier, willing the energy into him. This one wasn't as electric as the outlet had—it was almost warm, filling him up like hot chocolate. Henry sighed as the energy flowed into him, until it was abruptly cut off by a smash from his right side. Evidently, a green triceratops had decided to ram him. He landed with an _oompf!_ He rubbed his side.

"Alright Beast Boy, let's see how you handle this," he muttered to himself. Henry slowly walked towards the dinosaur, getting a look of confusion (if a triceratops can look confused). Suddenly, he ran, and his green friend charged at him again. This time, Henry jumped up early and stuck out his leg in what looked like a jump kick. Of course, he had never actually done one, so it was off. By putting extra energy into his jump, Henry was able to get to the height of the changeling's frill by the time they collided. Instantly absorbing the energy of the impact, Henry then forced a huge amount of kinetic energy into the frill, causing the triceratops to fly backwards. Beast Boy grunted as he turned back into a human. Henry landed and breathed heavily. Absorbing the impact had felt like a kick to the face and chest simultaneously, and he knew he would be sore. Henry watched Beast Boy stand up and transform into a mammoth. Letting out a loud trumpet, he thundered towards Henry. He knew that he wasn't going to be able to do what he had done last time, so it was time for a new trick. "Fus ro dahing" had knocked him out the last time, so that wouldn't work. Maybe… electricity? He'd have to try that one out. The green mammoth got closer, and Henry braced himself. He thought about lightning, and static electricity, and the Force lightning that the Emperor had used in _Return of the Jedi._ He decided on something like that, and sent a blast at the mammoth. A moment beforehand, though, the changeling had quickly gone from mammoth to tiger, and Henry's blast went underneath the great green cat. Beast Boy landed on Henry, and both fell to the ground. The brunette rolled to the side and—ignoring the pain—sent another blast into Beast Boy. This time, his electrical output hit its mark, and Beast Boy growled in pain. Henry quickly stood up, knowing he'd have to move fast. Tigers were fast, but they were also heavy. If he moved quick enough, he should be able to get another strike in. He ran forward towards the still-recovering Beast Boy, and grabbed his fur. Putting tremendous strength into his whole body, he dragged the struggling cat towards the barrier.

"Sorry, man," he muttered. Placing one hand on the barrier as Beast Boy switched between forms—lion, bear, cheetah, but still Henry held on. Finally, he willed himself to be a human conductor between Beast Boy and the light barrier. With a huge _zap!_, Beast Boy flew into the air as sparks flew. When he landed, the green Teen Titan turned back into his normal form, eyes spinning.

**WINNER: **GUEST said the announcing voice. The barriers disappeared, and Henry ran over to Beast Boy.

"You okay Beastie?" asked Henry, unintentionally giving him a new nickname. The green Titan shook his head violently, then sat up.

"Yeah, man. That last one _hurt_," replied Beast Boy, rubbing his head. "But I've lived through worse. That was pretty cool!" he added, getting back into his cheerful demeanor. Henry stuck out a hand, and the sitting teen took it, being pulled up.

"Nice match," Henry commented.

"Yeah, nice match," agreed Beast Boy. **NEXT MATCH: RAVEN VERSUS **GUEST.** FIFTEEN MINUTE REST FOR COMPETITORS**, the voice spoke. Cyborg and Raven walked down, Cyborg grinning. He walked up to Henry.

"Nice job there, Henry," commented the cyborg. "I didn't expect that coming from such a rookie like yourself."

"Thanks, neither did I," Henry replied, sheepishly shrugging.

"It wasn't terrible," Raven offered.

"Whatta ya say we get some grub before you two duke it out?" suggested Cyborg.

"Um, Cy? Star's cooking right now," Beast Boy reminded, making a disgusted look on his face.

"Yeah, all I need is an outlet. I'm drained," Henry said, looking for one. Cyborg moved his arm, and began clicking on the panel that appeared on it. Suddenly, a part of the wall moved, showing several strange devices. One looked like a giant plug.

"It's one of my recharging stations. All you gotta do is grab the prongs," Cyborg said, motioning to it. Henry walked over to it, and tentatively grabbed the prongs. Volts of electricity surged through him, causing Henry's hair to stand on end. Despite this, the teen held on, absorbing the electrical output. After several seconds, he let go, and the charging station withdrew back into the wall. Henry walked over to the Titans.

"Thanks, Cyborg," Henry said. "Gotta love some fresh electricity!" he added sarcastically. The next few minutes were spent on small talk, until the voice spoke again.

**FINAL MATCH WILL NOW COMMENCE.**

"That wasn't fifteen minutes," commented the newcomer. He and Raven walked towards the arena, and went to their separate starting positions.

"Good luck Henry!" called Cyborg.

**MATCH WILL COMMENCE IN 5... 4... **_Focus, Henry, _Henry thought to himself as he took a calming breath. He was about to face Raven, his second-favorite Titan, in a one-on-one battle. He quickly ran through his mind everything he could remember seeing her do.

**2... 1... BEGIN!**

* * *

**That's where I'm cutting it off today! Sorry I haven't posted in a couple days. School started Tuesday, and now I have eight less hours to write in a day, not including homework time. So updates will be slower for a while. Glad to see there's still a steady stream of people reading this, and of course thanks to everyone who has reviewed, followed, and favorited this story! It means a lot. I don't have anything much else to say, except perhaps that a review is always appreciated, and if you have any story ideas, feel free to PM me about them. Bye everyone, and have a fan-freaking-tastic day!**

**-Cortexin**


	9. Titans Tourney part 2 of 2

_**When we last saw Henry, he was about to face Raven one-on-one…**_

_**FINAL MATCH WILL NOW COMMENCE.**_

_"That wasn't fifteen minutes," commented the newcomer. He and Raven walked towards the arena, and went to their separate starting positions._

_"Good luck Henry!" called Cyborg._

_**MATCH WILL COMMENCE IN 5... 4... **__Focus, Henry, __Henry thought to himself as he took a calming breath. He was about to face Raven, his second-favorite Titan, in a one-on-one battle. He quickly ran through his mind everything he could remember seeing her do._

_**2... 1... BEGIN!**_

* * *

Henry was knocked flat before he could register Raven's movement. He caught a disc of black energy square in the chest, and flew back ten feet before he hit the ground. He let out an _oomf!_, and struggled to get up. He watched Raven slowly walk over to him. _Damn, _he thought,_ didn't expect that from her._ She was almost taunting in her stride, but she stopped when Henry stood up. Henry's left hand glowed and crackled with electricity, and he shot out a bolt towards Raven. She created a shield to block the strike, and continued to step forward. Henry stopped his lightning strike, seeing as it was a waste of energy.

Meanwhile, Raven was watching Henry, trying to figure out what he would do next. He looked unsure of himself, to no surprise. Apparently, his powers were as new to him as they were to her, and that wasn't good. She didn't know all of what he was capable of, compared to her teammates. After years of fighting side-by-side with them, she had a pretty good idea of how to combat them. Henry, however, was new. He wasn't even a part of the team. Raven had no idea of what else he could do, or even his fighting style. She had seen him in action three times—once with Mumbo, once with those green _things_, and once with Beast Boy. From what she had seen, Raven could tell that Henry liked to draw in his opponents, then hit them with his power. Therefore, this was as close as she was getting to him. She watched as he put his foot back, and held his arms out with clenched fists. Raven struggled to remember where she had seen him do that before, but then it hit her.

"VEN GARR **NOS!**" shouted Henry. Now, he couldn't actually cause the effects of the shout by shouting, but with his powers, he willed a LOT of energy into the air around him, forcing high winds towards Raven. The mini-cyclone smashed into Raven, knocking her about and causing her hair to blind her. Henry used this moment of distraction to run towards the empath. Raven suddenly felt a huge shock run through her, and she barely focused enough to open a portal underneath of herself.

Henry watched as Raven disappeared into the darkness beneath her. He turned around, searching for where she could have teleported to. Sadly, however, he didn't look up. If he had, he would have seen the black disc of energy Raven was standing on drop onto him. The disc slammed Henry onto the ground, and the weight of Raven, although not much, crushed the boy between a cold energy and the hard ground. Henry struggled, but he couldn't move much. Luckily, he had landed facing up towards the disc, and he placed his hands on the bottom in an effort to push it off of him. Then he realized something: this was ENERGY. He could do something with this! He focused on his hands, and slowly drew the disc into himself through his hands. It felt very strange, like there were a million tiny holes in his hands, and a cold needle was being shoved into each every single one of them. It didn't hurt, but it felt very odd.

Raven noticed the disc shrinking, and it took only a moment for her to realize what was happening. She jumped off and flew a short distance away, turning to look at Henry. He stood up, but he looked different—as if he was cold. He was, of course. The combined effects of the disc pressing against him and the cold feeling he got from absorbing it had left him shivering. His arms felt heavy, but he knew he had to act fast. He willed more energy into his arms, hoping to warm them up. It did, and started to run towards Raven, who was still floating. He ran and jumped towards her, using the technique he had used several times now. Forcing strength into his legs, he jumped up to Raven's level and let out a yell as he shot another blast of lightning towards her. She blocked it again, and this time it bounced back into him. Unprepared for this, Henry let out a scream of pain as he fell, focusing enough to absorb all the energy from hitting the ground. He stood up again, only to hear Raven grunt with effort as she was surrounded with a black light. He panicked, and began charging electricity around him. The energy began to cackle, and all at once the two released their energy in two synchronized bursts. The electricity and dark energy collided, and the resulting shockwave sent both flying backwards. When the dust settled, a smell of ozone filled the air. Raven staggered as she stood, looking for Henry. At last she saw his form, unmoving on the ground.

**WINNER: RAVEN! CONGRATULATIONS, THIS IS YOUR FIFTH STRAIGHT VICTORY! **The voice spoke, and confetti fell from the ceiling as the light barriers turned off. Raven ran over to Henry, who was moaning.

"Henry!" Raven called, "are you alright?" The empathy kneeled near the boy, feeling around for any broken bones. Luckily, there were none. Otherwise she would have sensed his pain.

"Yeah," moaned the dimensionally-displaced teen after a moment. "My head hurts something awful, though." The two heard the sound of feet on the ground, and Cyborg and Beast Boy came running over.

"Dude, that was awesome!" Beast Boy exclaimed with a grin on his face.

"You didn't do too bad, Henry," Cyborg commented, bending down and extending a hand towards Henry. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just a little bruised," Henry confirmed, taking the cyborg's offered limb. With Cyborg's help, he stood up on his own feet. Just then, the elevator opened, and Robin and Starfire burst out in an attack position. Robin held his bo staff, and Starfire floated with her hands glowing green.

"What's the trouble?" asked Robin, looking around.

"There's no trouble," Raven assured. "We were just training using the tourney program. Henry and myself had used our powers, and when they collided, it exploded."

"So that's what it was," Robin said cautiously, collapsing and putting away his staff. Starfire landed, and her starbolts disappeared.

"Glorious!" she said happily. "Nobody is in danger. We shall celebrate by consuming the meal I have prepared!" Despite the 'ehhs' and troubled looks from Henry and the other Titans, Starfire did not seem to notice everyone else's apparent dislike of the idea.

Several hours later, with Henry finally getting the taste of Tamaranian cooking out of his mouth, it was calm in the Tower. Henry excused himself to the bathroom, and it was then that Robin gathered the Titans together again.

"Alright everyone, listen up. We still need to determine whether or not Henry should join. I know that it's soon, but he appears to be a good person. He's got useful powers, and we'll need more power here in Jump if that slime guy turns up again." The other Titans nodded. "Alright, so let's put this to a vote. How many of us want to add Henry to the team?" Six hands rose into the air—Beast Boy had raised both of his.

"Yeah, man!" said Beast Boy excitedly.

"He does get along with the team pretty well," Cyborg noted.

"He is nice and he ate my cooking!" Starfire said, floating. "Unlike YOU," she added, giving them each a version of the death glare.

"He's good in combat," Raven said in her monotone voice.

"So we're agreed. Okay. I'm going to get his communicator and be right back." Robin turned and left, and returned just a moment before Henry did. He walked in to see all of the Titans standing near the door.

"Umm, guys? What's the issue?" questioned Henry.

"You are, dude," Beast Boy replied, his face looking strained.

"What?" asked Henry, even more confused. What was going on?

"Henry," Robin began, "you fell out of the sky. You don't have any records here, in any government file past or present. You don't exist as far as official papers go. You don't have anywhere to go. You get along with everyone on the team." Here Robin stopped, pulling something out of his pocket. It was small, and looked black and gold-colored. Henry gasped as he saw the white **T** on it. "Henry, would you like to stay with us? To become a Teen Titan?" Henry looked around. Robin had his mask on, so he couldn't tell. Raven looked at him, seemingly uncaring. Cyborg nodded, his mouth pulling into a left-sided smirk. Then Henry saw Starfire and Beast Boy. Their eyes had gone large, lower lips quivering, and hands held together as if pleaing.

"Well…" Henry said, scratching his head in mock debate. Beast Boy turned into a kitten, and continued on with 'the Look.' "Okay, you got me. I'll join if you'll have me." Henry grabbed the communicator and held it, admiring it. He couldn't believe it—here was, in Titans Tower, being asked to join the Titans themselves. He was holding a T-Communicator in his hand. He was—

"YAY!" Starfire and Beast Boy interrupted. Starfire nearly crushed the poor boy in a hug. When she finally let go, Henry looked at Robin, who was grinning. He extended his hand, and Henry shook it, grinning back.

"Welcome to the team, Henry," said the leader of the Teen Titans, letting go of his hand.

"Congrats, man," Cyborg said, putting his shoulder on the boy.

"Good to have you," Raven offered.

"Thanks guys," Henry replied to each of them, blushing a little.

"Now, Henry, before we celebrate this, there's paperwork to do," Robin said, slightly killing the mood. "Follow me."

After what seemed like hours of filling out paperwork (which was really only an hour and a half), Henry and Robin finally walked out of the evidence room. The other Titans were waiting, with all but Raven having a smile on their face. Raven looked like she had the beginnings of one, but she needed to keep her emotions in check.

"Okay now Henry, we have one last thing to do before you join the Titans," Robin said, grinning mischievously. Henry looked at them, concerned.

"What?" asked, immediately regretting asking. Cyborg pulled a box out from behind his back. Inside were a tutu, a rubber chicken, a unicycle, and various other items that did not belong together. The door behind Henry slammed shut. "Guys?" Henry asked as they slowly advanced towards Henry, evil looks on their faces. "Guys?" he asked again, growing concerned. He had seen what happened to Cyborg. "Oh, no. No, no, no no. I am NOT putting that o—AHH!" he tried to argue, but it was useless—five superheroes against Henry meant that he was doing whatever they wanted him to do. He struggled against the Titans, even though he knew it would be in good fun. After five minutes of struggling, the Titans got off of Henry, laughing. Gone were the boy's civilian clothes. Now, he sported a tutu, a clown nose, a magenta wig, and clogs. He also held a rubber chicken in his hand, and a unicycle lay at his feet.

"Dude," Beast Boy commented. "You look HILARIOUS! BWAHAHAHA!" laughed the teen, and the others joined in. Even Raven chuckled, and nobody noticed the light bulb in the kitchen pop. Henry stood there, beet-red, and merely absorbed it. _Well, Henry,_ he thought to himself, _you wanted to be a Titan. You got it._ He bent down and grabbed his clothes, and began to walk away.

"Oh, no you don't," Raven said, floating the unicycle through the air to near where Henry was. "You're forgetting something."

"You have got to be kidding," Henry said, dropping his civilian clothes. Little did he know, he would never wear them again.

"Hardly," countered Raven. "Ride the unicycle." Henry did as he was told, and surprisingly didn't fall. He pedaled, wobbled, and leaned all over the common room, with the entirety of the team laughing at him. But it was all worth it, and he would remember this forever.

* * *

**Hidden Somewhere in Jump City…**

The villain laughed. FOOLS! They had left the crystals! It would only be a matter of minutes before his underlings would return with the red rocks. He smiled to himself as he thought of the mayhem they would cause. He turned back to his computer, finishing the piece of information he was reading. Then a minion barged in.

"Sir, we've got them."

"Good," replied the villain. "Bring them forth." Moments later, a bound Gizmo, Control Freak, and Adonis were thrown in front of him. Adonis had been difficult, but had eventually been subdued.

"Hey, no-good snot-lickers! Lemme go!" complained Gizmo.

"I'm missing the _Clash of the Planets _marathon!" whined Control Freak.

"Zzzzzz," snored Adonis. He had to be knocked out. People in mechanical suits were hard to transport awake.

"SHUT UP!" roared the villain who was not of their universe. "I have need of your talents. You will help me, and I will reward you."

"Oh yeah, crud-picker? And what if we don't?" asked Gizmo, still struggling without his backpack. The villain clapped twice. An underling came out.

"Yes, sir?" he asked, before a glob of goo covered his face. He screamed, struggling to get it off of him. The goo began covering his body, and eventually the body underneath stopped struggling. The man-shaped goo stood up and walked away.

"THAT is what will happen." Control Freak and Gizmo looked at each other, and gulped.

"We'd love to help!" they replied in unison.

"Good. In that case, BRING IN THE CRYSTALS!" called out the villain. Another servant came out carrying three glowing red crystals. "Give one to our… guests, here." Control Freak and Gizmo took one, and one was placed on Adonis' sleeping form. "My friends, you will remember this day for a long time. For this is the day you entered the service of your Master Gimlon!" the villain laughed. The two minor villains laughed along nervously.

"Let us begin," Gimlon stated, and began talking. Control Freak and Gizmos' eyes grew wide at what Gimlon told them…

* * *

**That's all I've got this time, everyone! So, it looks like I've decided on our villain's name—Gimlon. Don't know where it came from. In other news, it looks like Henry is a Titan now, despite having his butt beaten by Raven. Hopefully, I did that scene good enough for you guys. I also hope that you enjoyed the Raven-Henry fight. I knew Henry beating Raven was ridiculous without luck or Ellimist intervention. So, I'll write more soon. Love seeing all 13 reviews and 780 views! That's fantastic! Someday, those numbers will reach 20 and 1,000, respectively. I'll probably do something special to celebrate. Or maybe not. Oh well. I've got nothing else to say, except if you enjoyed the chapter, feel free to review and tell me what you liked! Or what you didn't. Sorry this is short today. Bye everyone, and see you all next chapter! Have a fan-freaking-tastic day!**

—**Cortexin**


	10. A New Suit, and Time to Talk

_**When we last saw Henry, he was being forced to make a total fool of himself for the Titans' amusement…**_

_"Dude," Beast Boy commented. "You look HILARIOUS! BWAHAHAHA!" laughed the teen, and the others joined in. Even Raven chuckled, and nobody noticed the light bulb in the kitchen pop. Henry stood there, beet-red, and merely absorbed it. Well, Henry, he thought to himself, you wanted to be a Titan. You got it. He bent down and grabbed his clothes, and began to walk away. _

_"Oh, no you don't," Raven said, floating the unicycle through the air to near where Henry was. "You're forgetting something." _

_"You have got to be kidding," Henry said, dropping his civilian clothes. Little did he know, he would never wear them again. _

_"Hardly," countered Raven. "Ride the unicycle." Henry did as he was told, and surprisingly didn't fall._ _He pedaled, wobbled, and leaned all over the common room, with the entirety of the team laughing at him. But it was all worth it, and he would remember this forever._

* * *

After ten minutes, the novelty of the situation wore out, and Henry was told he could stop. He got down from the unicycle (trickier than he thought it would be), and went to grab his clothes when Cyborg stopped him.

"No, you won't be needing those anymore," he said. "Robin and I whipped something up when you arrived, _just in case_ you joined. Looks like I need to get it out." With that, Cyborg left the room. Henry stood there, still in his tutu. At this point, the other Titans were on the couch. Robin was playing some game on the TV, teaching Starfire how to. Raven sat cross-legged on the couch, reading some old, thick book. Beast Boy had disappeared shortly after Henry first got on the unicycle. Henry stood, taking in the scene. He thought about what had happened the last few days—crashing down into Jump, staying at Titans Tower, fighting bad guys, and forming friendships with the Titans. He smiled at the last thought. Henry was already on good terms with Starfire and Beast Boy, and presumably Cyborg as well. Robin seemed a little unsure of whether or not to trust Henry, and the boy could understand that. Raven was interesting. She neither liked not disliked him, but didn't appear neutral either. Perhaps there was a mutual respect of the other, and that was it.

"Here ya go, kid," Cyborg unexpectedly said, startling the new Titan and taking him from his thoughts. Henry turned around to see Cyborg holding clothing out so it hung, showcasing everything in his hands. He gasped at what he saw.

"What do you think, Henry? You like your costume?" asked Cyborg, grinning. Henry stared at the outfit—it was for him? The one-piece was similar to something Robin would wear, with an obvious color difference. It was a vibrant orange, with a gray circle on his chest. There were various small pockets along his arms and legs, and a gray hood as well. It looked like it would be a little… tight, but Henry wasn't about to complain. In his hands, Cyborg also held a pair of shoes. Or were they boots? Henry didn't care. Gray with orange stripes on them, the bottoms were covered with treads to make them more friction-prone. Henry took the shoe-boot-whatevers from Cyborg, and threw the jumpsuit over his shoulder.

"Thanks, man," Henry said. "I… I can't put into words how thankful I am for this."

"No problem, dude. Now, why don't you go try those on before the others get nosy," Cyborg suggested.

"I will," replied Henry, and he walked over into the elevator. As the doors closed, music began to play…

_You show the lights that stop me, turn to stone, you shine it when I'm alone_

_And so I tell myself that I'll be strong, and dreaming when they're gone_

_Great, _Henry thought to himself as the song played, _that'll be stuck in my head all day._ The music played for a little while longer, until the elevator opened on the floor the bathroom was. Henry stepped out of the elevator and into the hallway, walking past the Titans' rooms. The doors were all closed, so each name was visible as he passed them. The bathroom was on his left, and he only passed two rooms on the way to it: Starfire and Raven's. He opened the door and stepped in, closing it. He removed the tutu and other embarrassing clothing, and set down his new outfit. Henry unzipped the front, and a gray shirt fell out. _It must be an undershirt or something,_ Henry though as he put it on. Then he stepped into the suit's legs, and pulled them tight. It felt weird, wearing a one-piece. He hadn't worn anything like this since he was a kid, with his green dinosaur feetie pajamas. Henry put his left arm through the hole, then his right arm. Zipping up the front, he felt a little constrained in a private area. (**AN: Hehe, get it? **_**Private**_** area? Sorry, that's childish.**) After a moment, however, that had been adjusted, and Henry slid into his new shoes. Or boots. Whatever. They were a weird combination of both, but Henry mentally determined he'd just call them 'shoes' to prevent confusion. He tightened them to his liking, and gathered up his ridiculous former attire and stepped out of the bathroom, shutting off the light.

Just after Henry left the bathroom, he stopped. He heard voices—or at least a voice, echoing through the hallway from past where he was. Henry grew suspicious, and crept towards the sound of the voice. It turned out there was another room up here, and Henry immediately realized that it was a former teammate's room. The door was open, but he was certain he knew what it would say. The voice had grown louder, and Henry was surprised to recognize it as Beast Boy's. Henry paused outside the door. He didn't like the thought that he was eavesdropping, so he considered it 'tactical listening' in his mind. In the darkness, Henry listened.

"…couldn't think of anywhere else to talk to you, so I figured your old room would be best." Silence was all that replied to Beast Boy. "So anyway, there's this dude named Henry. He fell out of the sky the other day, don't know how he survived, but he did. Says he comes from a parallel universe or somethin' where we were just a bunch of cartoon characters. I guess he's tellin' the truth, because Cyborg and Robin say he doesn't exist legally. Henry's pretty nice, and he's got powers too. He reminds me of you a little, what with him being friendly and joining so soon." Beast Boy chuckled softly to himself. "Listen to me, talking to an empty room. Agh! I'm sorry, Terra. I'm sorry you couldn't remember anything!" Henry peered into the room, to see Beast Boy kneeling by the end of the bed, and watched as he hit it once. Then Beast Boy stopped talking, and held his hands to his face.

"I… I miss you, Terra. You were perfect, and you understood me. I know you helped Slade, but that doesn't make you a bad person! Sometimes good people do bad things, and you were good person. You always were to me." Henry stepped quietly into the room, hearing the soft crying of Beast Boy. He looke around quickly, and saw that the room was empty and gray save for the bed which stood in the center. Beast Boy should have heard Henry, but he must have been distracted, because he didn't realize Henry was there until the new Titan put a hand on his shoulder. He jumped and stood up. "Oh. I didn't realize you were there, Henry."

"I didn't realize you still hurt," Henry replied softly. "I… are you okay, Beast Boy?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," answered the green teen, wiping his eye. "I just… really miss her, you know? It's been a year since she turned to stone. It's been five days since I last saw her."

"Five days?" asked Henry, confused.

"Yeah. I went to see her memorial, and she wasn't there. Then I saw this girl who looked _exactly _like her—same eyes, same hair, same pretty smile. Only she claimed she didn't know who I was, and she couldn't use her powers. But it's her!" Beast Boy replied, somewhat shakily.

"Relax, BB," Henry said, putting an arm on his friend. "Maybe she doesn't want to remember. Maybe she just wants to be normal." Beast Boy pulled away, staring at Henry.

"Funny, that sounds just like what the Slade-bot said," he said, looking worried. "How did you know what it said?"

"Beast Boy… I saw the episode." At this, it was Beast Boy's turn to look confused.

"Episode?"

"It was called 'Things Change.' You tried to find Terra at her school, and she told you she wasn't who you wanted her to be. You showed her your T-Communicator, and she declined it. After the bell rang, you called Robin and told him you were on your way over, because they needed help fighting this thing you were fighting." Beast Boy began muttering to himself. Henry caught "parallel universe," "episode," "Terra," and "next." The changeling's face lit up.

"Hey, if we were a cartoon, then you must know what's next! What happens next, huh? Do I see her again? Was it Terra?" asked the teen, his eyes wide. Henry shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Beast Boy, but I don't know. That was the last episode," Henry replied apologetically.

"L-last episode?" asked Beast Boy, looking crushed.

"Yeah," Henry replied, thinking that mentioning _Trouble in Tokyo_ would be a bad idea. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, man," Beast Boy said, wiping the last traces of a tear from his eye. Then he smiled. "Nice outfit, dude! You look snazzy."

"Thanks, BB. Now what do you say we head upstairs for some racing?" asked Henry. Beast Boy nodded.

"Sure, gimme a sec," he replied, and bent down to pick up a dull-colored heart-shaped container. Silently, he put it on the bed. "Let's go." As the two walked into the hallway, Beast Boy shut the door. The word 'TERRA' was written, faded with a year's' worth of dust on it. "Can you, um, not tell the others what I was doing?" asked the teen as they rode the elevator."

"Of course," Henry said. The two stood silently as the end of _Lights_ played.

_Lights, lights, lights, lights, lights (home, home)_

_Hoooooome_

It was several hours later did anyone say anything about being hungry.

"We could go out for pizza," Beast Boy suggested.

"We just had it yesterday," Raven responded, not looking up from her book.

"There is no such thing as too much pizza," Cyborg argued, keeping his eyes glued to the game he and Henry were playing.

"Yeah, I gotta agree with Cy on this one," Henry added.

"I could make a delicious Tamara—" Starfire started, but was quickly cut off by a resounding "NO" from four of the five other occupants of the room. Robin stayed silent.

"Um, what they're saying, Star, is that you made lunch today, and so maybe somebody _else_ should make dinner," Robin explained.

"Yeah, I can do it!" Henry offered. After a moment of discussion, it was determined that Henry would be making dinner. After finishing his race with Cyborg, Henry stood up and walked over to the kitchenette. "Raven," he called, "can you help me find the ingredients and whatnot? I don't know where anything is." Sighing, Raven closed her book after marking her spot and set it down. She stood up and walked over to the open cupboards.

"What do you need to find?" she asked. Henry thought a moment before rattling off what he needed.

"Sugar, yeast, flour, olive oil, and salt. Also, measuring cups and the like." Raven looked into the cupboard. "Ah, here's the sugar…" Henry said, pulling it out. Raven located each of the items he requested, and floated them over to Henry on the counter.

"Pots are underneath the counter," Raven replied, and turned to walk away.

"Ah, no! Where do you think you're going?" chided Henry playfully. "Come here. You're gonna help me make dinner." Raven let out a second sigh in as many minutes, and turned to face her new teammate.

"Fine," she replied. "What do you want me to do?" This was degrading, taking orders from someone new on the team. But Robin had told her to try and get along with Henry, so this was something she was going to have to do, whether she wanted to or not.

"Ah, okay, first I'm going to make the dough. You just stand there and look pretty," Henry said without thinking. "Erm, sorry," he started. "I… I, never mind," he finished, looking down towards his supplies. As she watched Henry pour out various amount of ingredients and add them together with water, she thought to herself. _Why is he doing this? _ was Raven's thought, but her Emoticlones had other ideas. _He called you pretty! _Happy spoke excitedly. _Who does he think he is? Let's beat him up!_ suggested Brave. _QUIET,_ Raven commanded, silencing the other Ravens in her head. She was glad her hood was up—she had blushed a tiny bit when the word 'pretty' had come up. Now, she was back to normal, and she continued to focus on what was in front of her. Henry was touching two globs of dough, and they was rising much more quickly than they should have.

"How are you doing that, Henry?" Raven asked, partially due to Knowledge speaking up in her mind.

"My powers, Raven," Henry explained. "I'm putting more energy into the yeast, making them break down the sugar faster, thus making the bread rise quicker." Henry then removed his hand. "There, should be about done. Here's the fun part, and where you come in," he continued, and he took one of the piles and tossed it to Raven. She barely caught it. "Spin it," he instructed, grinning, and began to spin the dough in his hands. Raven looked at Henry, who was spinning some on his finger tip like a basketball. He started walking around, humming to himself. Henry pulled and stretched the dough, making it thinner and wider. He gave it a quick toss into the air, watching it flatten. He caught it, and looked at Raven. "C'mon, Raven, try it!" She began to hesitantly pull it out, careful not to rip it. "There you go, now add in a little energy!" This gave Raven an idea. She took hold of the dough with her black energy, and began to spin it in the air, grabbing and pinching it with her hands as it spun.

"Clever girl," Henry commented as he threw it high into the air, almost reaching the ceiling. He spun around and stuck out his hand, and the flatter dough landed perfected in it. "Beat _that_," he said showily, as if challenging her.

"Oh, I _will_," she responded with her own smirk, and she threw it towards the sitting form of Cyborg. It landed perfectly on his head, still spinning.

"What the—" exclaimed Cyborg, slapping his head to feel what was on it. Raven had already moved the dough with her powers, and he ended up hitting himself. "Ow…" he moaned softly, rubbing his now-sore head.

"Beat _that_," Raven challenged, smirking. The action of throwing the dough had caused Raven's hood to fall down, revealing her violet hair. Henry stopped spinning his dough, which he had tossed into the air again. He hadn't seen Raven without her hood down yet, and he was surprised. It was one thing to see her in the show, as a cartoon. It was an entirely different thing to see her in person, in front of him.

"Whoa," he gasped. "You look—" Henry started, but was interrupted by the dough falling on his head, covering his face. Raven giggled, and then immediately stopped. _Giggling, Raven? What have you stooped to? _She scolded herself, but still smiled as Henry took the dough off of his head.

"I look what?" she asked, feeling a wave of embarrassment roll off of Henry. She enjoyed teasing people, not that she'd let it show. Of course, she had to be careful, or else she might break a light bulb.

"You look… like you win. Congrats. Now let's get some sauce on these bad boys," Henry said quickly, his face turning red. _Way to go, genius,_ he thought to himself. _That was real smooth what you did back there._ After showing Raven how to apply the pizza sauce, Henry got out the shredded cheese, and they each added that to their own dough. Then came the toppings, and Raven got out the pepperoni for Henry.

"I'm only putting this on one, seeing as we have a vegetarian here," Henry explained, placing little pepperoni slices on top of the dough. Finishing that task, he then began to roll the dough up. "Make sure you don't roll it too tight," he instructed Raven. He finished first, and waited for her to finish. She struggled to keep everything in line, Henry admired her work. "Is this the first time you've made pizza rolls?" he asked her, putting them both on a tray.

"Yes," Raven answered simply.

"Well, you did a pretty good job. A little sloppy with the sauce, but you'll do better in time," Henry commented, putting the rolls in the oven. "Now, I'm going to help Mr. Oven here and make the rolls cook faster, but it'll be a few minutes before they're ready. You can go if you'd like." Henry pushed a few buttons on the oven, and it turned on. He took a seat on the stools nearby, surprised to see Raven still there.

"Where did you learn to make these?" Raven asked, sitting across from him.

"Mom taught me as a kid, and they're pretty much the only thing I can make other than chicken soup, toast, and grilled cheese," Henry replied. He looked off into the distance, thinking of home. His mother, and her fantastic meals. His father, with his zany work stories. And his sister Ellie, and her adorable little-kid laugh. He sighed. Raven knew she had brought up memories in him.

"Do you miss them? Your family, I mean," she questioned, thinking of her own family. She shuddered, and stopped. She might as well, for all intents and purposes, did not have a family.

"Yeah. It's been a little tough, adapting to life here, but I think I'll manage."

"You'll be with them again, Henry," she comforted. It was strange, Raven comforting someone, but right now it was needed. Henry looked back at her, and smiled.

"Thanks, Raven, but I don't know how I'll get back. The Ellimist hasn't said anything lately," he said sadly.

"Cyborg and Robin will come up with something. If they can't, I can try. And if all else fails, we contact the Justice League." Henry smiled at that.

"Thanks for your concern." Then he popped up, and turned around. "They should be ready!" he announced, and opened the oven. He pulled out the pizza rolls, which, with Henry's powers speeding the process, fully-cooked and ready to eat. The remaining Titans came to the kitchenette, and sat down on the stools across from Henry. Raven floated plates out in front of everyone, and Henry found a large knife to cut the pizza rolls into slices with. "The no-meat is in front of BB. Dig in, guys," he said. Moments later, a unified "Mmmm" came from across from him as Starfire, Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Robin bit into their food.

"Henry, this is great!" Robin complimented.

"Great job, dude," agreed Beast Boy. Cyborg was still eating.

"Delicious!" Starfire exclaimed. Henry took a bite of his own, and thought briefly of when he had learned to make them. He smiled. Then he looked at Raven, who wasn't eating.

"Try one," he told her, and she hesitantly did.

"Mmm, these _are_ good," she said at last.

"Couldn't have done it without you," he added. The Titans talked and laughed as they ate their meal. That day had been a good day, and Henry smiled as he thought about it. He was now a Titan, and he felt like it. He was getting closer to the Titans, and that was good. Suddenly, something interrupted his happy thoughts. He felt like he was being watched, and an image filled his mind. A blood-red eye filled his mind, and he felt like it was staring directly at him. One word spoke in Henry's head, and it was not his own voice speaking it.

_Crayak._

* * *

**That's all for today! There was a lot of dialogue this chapter, and not a lot happened. Hopefully, the scenes between Henry and Beast Boy, and Henry and Raven weren't **_**too**_** OOC for the Titans. Leave a review and tell me what you think, if you'd like. If you have any suggestions—whether they are little, one-chapter-long mini-events or big, multi-chapter arcs—PM me or leave it in a review. I'm always open to them. Thanks to everyone who has given me advice on how to improve this story, and I'll see you all next chapter! Have a fan-freaking-tastic day!**

—**Cortexin**


	11. Patrol Night

_**When we last saw Henry, he was interrupted during his reflection of the day…**_

_The Titans talked and laughed as they ate their meal. That day had been a good day, and Henry smiled as he thought about it. He was now a Titan, and he felt like it. He was getting closer to the Titans, and that was good. Suddenly, something interrupted his happy thoughts. He felt like he was being watched, and an image filled his mind. A blood-red eye filled his mind, and he felt like it was staring directly at him. One word spoke in Henry's head, and it was not his own voice speaking it._

_Crayak._

* * *

Henry stood there, his mouth slightly open. He continued to mentally stare at what he saw in his mind. The blood-red eye merely sat there, and Henry noticed the similarly-colored tentacles connected to it. The word in his mind echoed, and repeated.

Crayak.

Crayak.

Crayak.

Then it stopped, and the eye looked over towards a white light that had begun shining. The eye closed, and the image disappeared along with the word.

"Henry, you okay man?" Cyborg asked, looking concerned. Henry jolted back to reality, shaking his head all about, as if he was shaking water off of it.

"Yeah, I just kinda phased out for a second," Henry replied, returning to his smile. "How was dinner?" he asked, looking at the crumbs that lay where the pizza rolls once where.

"That was really good, dude," Beast Boy complimented, leaning back in his stool and rubbing his stomach.

"Yeah, I've gotta agree with BB on this one," Cyborg added, also rubbing his mechanical stomach.

"Thank you, but it would not have been possible for my fan_tastic_ assistant," Henry said, motioning towards Raven. She looked at him, eyebrow raised.

"Assistant?" she asked.

"Fine," Henry admitted teasingly. "My co-chef, Raven." Raven crossed her arms and smiled.

"There you go," she replied. Robin stood up and looked at the clock.

"Well, it looks like time for bed," Robin yawned. Henry turned to look at it.

"Dude, it's only eight o'clock," Beast Boy replied.

"I know. But as the saying goes, 'Early to bed and early to wise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise,'" Robin returned. He walked over to the elevator. "Raven and Henry are on patrol tonight," he added as he stepped into the elevator. As the doors closed, Henry could have sworn he heard the beginning of _La Bamba_ start to play. _What is with that elevator and 80's music?_ thought Henry, before another thing entered his mind.

"Wait, _patrol_?" he asked. "What does he mean by patrol?" Starfire stood up to answer that question.

"Patrol is when we go out into the city, and look out for any crimes to stop," she explained. Cyborg and Beast Boy looked at each other, looking slightly nervous.

"Yeah, stop crimes," the changeling chuckled nervously. He then stood up and went over to the couch, and Cyborg shortly followed him. Starfire, Raven, and Henry looked at the dirty dishes left behind by dinner. Henry shot his hand to his face, and placed a finger on his nose.

"Nose goes!" he said quickly.

"What?" a confused alien asked as Raven copied Henry's motions.

"You do 'nose goes' if there is something left and nobody in the group wants to do it. You have to put your finger on your nose, and say 'nose goes' really fast. If you don't do it, or you're the last person to, you have to do the thing," Henry said, removing his finger.

"Oh," Starfire said simply. "What is the thing I have to do?"

"Umm… I guess wash the dishes," Henry suggested. He felt bad, and he moved to grab them. "Sorry, Starfire, you didn't know. It wasn't fair to you," but Starfire stopped him.

"No, no, I will do them. Next time, though, I will beat you in the nose that goes," she said gently, floating over to pick up the dishes. Raven then spoke up.

"Patrol usually starts at nine, but if you want to go now, we might as well," she said, putting up her hood.

"Fine by me," the new Titan replied, and Raven grabbed his shoulder. He could barely react to the action before he fell through the floor. After a brief moment of darkness, Henry appeared and fell onto a cold metal surface. He stood up and looked out what was Jump City. He could see the U-shape of the city, and many twinkling lights shined in an array of colors, although most of them were yellow. The moon sat low in the sky, shining brightly over the city. Its reflection rippled in the water as the waves distorted its image. The air was a bit chilly, but by putting up his own hood, Henry began to feel warmer almost immediately. Plus, adding a little thermal energy to himself and his orange jumpsuit, and he was feeling warmer than he had inside the Tower.

"This is quite the view," Henry said in earnest.

"Yes, it is," Raven agreed, "but we have work to do," she continued. "Now, how this works is that every other night, two of us go out to walk around the city, looking for any trouble, and we put a stop to it. If there's a bigger threat, we call in to the others, and they come help."

"Pretty simple," Henry replied after a moment of contemplation. "What happens on the nights we aren't on patrol?"

"The JCPD put some extra cars out. Jump says that works out for them, and I won't question it. That's the way it's been these last few years, and it's worked out so far," Raven explained.

"Got it. So, where do we go now?" asked the male teen enthusiastically. He was genuinely excited—this was the first steps to becoming a 'real' member, in his eyes. He knew that he'd have to do whatever the others did, and it was exciting. This was way better than his old, boring life back home! The thought of home briefly saddened him, but he brushed it off. There were people out there depending on him, and he couldn't fail them. He was a _Teen Titan_ now, and he had the responsibilities of one.

"I usually start at the park, and work my way through the streets," Raven responded.

"Then let's go!" Henry replied. A familiar disc of black energy formed underneath of them, and off they flew. Henry held on to the handles, and he briefly considered absorbing the energy, just to be funny. Then he realized that he couldn't fly, and that Raven probably wasn't going to catch him if he pulled something like that, and so decided against it. Suddenly, a though popped in his head.

"Raven," he said, "can you make this look like something _other_ than a disc?" he asked.

"I never have, but I could. Why?"

"Can you humor me, and make this look like a carpet?" Raven stopped moving the disc, and turned back to look at him.

"Why?" she asked with a confused look. Not that Henry could see it, of course—her hood was still up.

"Just… just can you do it? This one time, unless you feel like doing it again?" After a few seconds of silence, Raven turned around, sat down, and the disc turned into a carpet-shaped wave of energy. Henry fell, and grabbed the sides. "Awesome!" he exclaimed. Raven shrugged as the 'carpet' flew on towards the city.

_What is up with him?_ Raven thought to herself. Brave spoke up in her mind: _He's just being stupid. I say when we land, we beat him up!_ Of course, the empathy ignored her Emoticlone's comment. Raven turned and moved through the air, flying over the coast and finally over some buildings. Henry's voice came from behind her, overriding the sound of traffic from below.

"_I can show you the world… Shining, shimmering—_" Henry sang, before Raven interrupted him.

"_Shut, up. Tell me, Henry, now when did you start acting like, Beast Boy?_" Raven continued, perfectly in tune with the song. [**AN: Go back over Raven's line, and sing it in place of '—splendid. Tell me, princess, when did you last let your heart decide?' It works!**] Henry stared at Raven, his jaw hanging, and although she couldn't see it, Raven could feel his feeling of shock and amazement.

"Dang, Raven. That was pretty good. Did you, like, have that planned or something?" he asked, impressed.

"No, I thought of that just now," replied the empath.*

"You know, Raven, you sounded pretty good. You should sing more often," he said, not even realizing that he said it. Raven didn't answer—how was she supposed to? Instead, she merely waited in silence, landing half a minute later on the green grass of the Jump City Park. The glowing 'carpet' disappeared, and the two stood up. The sun had already set, but a few brilliant streaks of color lay on the horizon. However, streetlights were already on, and not many people were out and about that night. Henry and Raven were near downtown Jump City, and Henry was thinking of everywhere there could be criminal activity.

"Follow me," Raven instructed, and she began to walk towards an area where there was little light shining.

"Where're we going?" asked Henry, following his guide.

"To the same place I always go to first. The number one place for non-powered villains in Jump City: The

Piston Broke," Raven answered, still facing forward. Henry sniggered at that.

"What is that, some sort of terrible bar?"

"Yes."

"How are we allowed in there? I don't think any of us are twenty-one yet," Henry asked, confused. He could have sworn he heard her chuckle after that.

"Oh, let's just say that it was rather_ expensive_ the last time a Titan wasn't allowed in here…" Raven replied, her voice filled with a sort of humorous nostalgia.

"Okay, explain. I've got to know what happened," Henry said back, curious.

"Legally, I can't tell you _exactly_ what happened. But let's say that it involves official Titan business, an owner who wouldn't let us in, and a rather… _explosive_ use of Starfire's abilities," Raven offered. The newest Titan merely walked on, not even wanting to consider being on the receiving end of what had happened. The two continued on in silence, until finally reaching a corner. They turned left, and crossed the empty street. After a short distance, Raven turned into an alley, and Henry turned to follow her. A low-hanging sign nearly smacked him in the face, and he ducked, watching Raven step out of a dark portal a few feet in front of him.

"Thanks for the warning, Rae," Henry said sarcastically.

"Do not call me Rae. My name is Ra_ven_," she replied immediately, stressing the last syllable of her name.

"Sorry, Rae-ven," Henry said, putting heavy emphasis on each syllable in a mockery of Raven. The twosome stepped through a door, and the sight was rather… disappointing. The bar itself ran along the left-hand side of the room. Various people in the bar looked up at them, then turned back to their drinks or conversations. Tables dotted the room, with only a few having intact tablecloths on them. Some were missing entirely, some had holes in them, and some had stains that suggested alcoholic drinks had returned to the outside world, and decided to visit the tabletop before getting cleaned up. Dim lights hung from the low ceiling, and a few were missing bulbs. The bartender looked up from the glass he was cleaning, and grunted.

"Ah, Miss Raven of the Teen Titans," he greeted with a frown. "For what reason do I owe your appearance at my, ehm, fine establishment?"

"We're looking for any suspicious activity. Just a routine patrol tonight, Al," Raven answered in a monotone. "Any rumors going around lately?" Al snorted.

"Like I care what these baboons say. All I do is give 'em their poison, make sure they pay, and thrown 'em out if they're startin' a ruckus." By now, the two Titans had reached the bar itself, and were directly across from the bartender himself. He was a chubby man, with a five o-clock shadow and no moustache to speak of. Balding in the middle of his head, he had hair that connected in a squished crescent along the back of his head. He smelled of smoke, alcohol, and general human stink, and he looked like he didn't give a rat's behind about anyone else but himself. Raven put her hands on the table and leaned in.

"Do you remember the last time you refused to help us?" she asked calmly. Raven gave the impression that she wasn't very pleased, and Henry smiled in the darkness of his hood. She was going to put the bartender into a tight spot, and Henry was going to enjoy watching it.

"Erm, yeah," replied Al, nervously returning to his glass.

"Do you want that to happen again?"

"Ahhh….. no."

"So what have you heard lately?" she asked, rising to her original stature. The bartender set down the glass again, and looked at Raven.

"Alright, I'll say this quick. The last couple of days, there's been somethin' weird goin' on. The usual crowd ain't been showin' up, and I don't like it. See, you know who comes here, and just the other day this one dude comes in, all high-and-mighty like, and he starts spoutin' some nonsense about bein' gods and kings and whatnot. Now, Mickey Jay, he's an old friend of mine, he speaks up. Wants to know how this new fella is gonna do all that, and he calls him out on a bluff. New guy don't like that, and he shoots Mickey. Not with no gun, mind ya, but with slime, like outta his hand or somethin'. And he covers Mickey's face with it, and Mickey just kinda lays there after a while." Henry and Raven looked at each other. It seemed that the new guy in town was connected with the incident earlier that day.

"Interesting…" Henry said to himself.

"How come you didn't say anything to us? Or to the police? There has to be a body," Raven said forcefully. She felt a slight wave of panic emanate from the bartender, but she was having none of it.

"That's the thing. There weren't no body. New guy starts tellin' all the customers what the plan is, and by the time a whole crowd of 'em started to leave, Mickey gets back up. Only it ain't Mickey, see. He's all covered in that _slime_, or whatever the hell it is. And I says to him, 'Mickey, you okay?' and it just looks at me. No eyes, no mouth, no nothing, just slime, but it stares at me." Al looked at Raven, and she realized it wasn't fear of _her_ that she was feeling—no, it was remembering what had happened that had made the usual tough-guy demeanor of Al disappear.

"Is there… anything else you can tell me?" asked Raven, turning to walk away.

"Yeah. Just earlier tonight, I heard a couple of guys talkin' about meeting at the 'lectronics store. Oh, and one last thing," added Al. He looked afraid, like he was reliving a nightmare. "His voice was terrifying. Made me feel like I was hearin' my Pop. He wasn't a very good man. He beat Ma, and I was scared of him as a kid. Thank God he's rotting in prison."

"Thank you for your assistance tonight, Al. Take the rest of the night off," Raven suggested as they left, Henry following shortly behind. The door slammed behind them as they stepped out into the alley.

"Sounds like our good friend from earlier," commented Henry as they began to walk onto the street.

"Sounds like we're heading to the electronics store," Raven replied. "We a couple blocks away, so we might as well. Just follow me."

"Good thing Cyborg and Beast Boy aren't out with us," Henry thought aloud. "They'd probably be rushing over there with no regard for the mission."

"You're not giving either of them very much credit. The two can be a bit much at times, but Cyborg and Beast Boy aren't _always_ messing around."

"Oh," Henry replied. "I just never really saw it that way. Remember, I've always known you guys as cartoon characters. From how you guys have been portrayed, I've just mostly seen his screwing-around side. Of course, I've seen you all at your extremes. From super-serious to silly, I've seen it all." They continued on in silence, taking various turns when they reached a corner. Suddenly, Raven stopped just they reached a corner. She held her hand up, and peered around the edge of the building.

"Shh…" she shushed, looking out at the strange sight in front of her. Two very different individuals stood on the roof of the electronic store. One was short, skinny, and bald, with a backpack. The other was tall, husky, and had orange-red hair. The second person held something in his hand, and although Raven couldn't see it, she had a pretty good idea of what it was.

"What is it? What do you see, Raven?" asked a frustrated teenage boy. He wanted to see what was happening, but he wasn't about to just walk out there if Raven was still looking.

"Gizmo and Control Freak," she responded. "What are they doing, working together?"

"Well, they're both tech guys, right? Maybe that has something to do with it," suggested Henry. Raven turned around to look at him.

"Good thinking," Raven said, and then put her hands on his shoulders.

"Wha—" started Henry, but then the ground beneath him disappeared for the second time that night. They re-appeared on the top of a building, and Henry managed to not fall this time. Raven removed her hands, and began to walk towards something. "You know, you should warn me nex—"

"Quiet! Listen…" Raven said softly, and motioned towards a large building. Henry recognized it as the building they were just standing near. Which meant that they were on top of the electronics store! Then he noticed the two figures—Gizmo and Control Freak. The villains were looking out from behind the sign on the roof. Henry strained to listen, but efforts paid off.

"…much longer until we bust in," Control Freak was saying. He sounded different, although neither Raven nor Henry could tell what exactly was different.

"Yeah, then we can get what Gemlon wants us to," Gizmo added. Raven looked over at Henry.

"All right, you get out there and distract them, and I'll take care of them," Raven whispered, and she disappeared into a dark portal. _Great_, Henry thought to himself. He walked towards the two criminals, and tapped Gizmo on the shoulder.

"Whadda ya want, Freako?" asked the former H.I.V.E. student, turning to face him. He saw Henry, and made a surprised face. "Hey, who's this snot-muncher?" he exclaimed. Henry took a step back as Control Freak turned to see what Gizmo was talking about. Henry smiled and waved at them.

"Hi guys!" he said cheerfully. "How ya doing today?" Gizmo responded by having four metallic legs pop out of his backpack, and he towered over Henry.

"I said, who are you?" asked the criminal, forcefully. He looked angrier than he had seen in the cartoon, and something else came out of Gizmo's backpack. It appeared to be a fifth leg, but that misconception ended when the sharp blade of it curled under the hanging Gizmo.

"Hi, my name is Henry, and I have a problem," replied Henry, slightly nervous. He didn't like the sharp blade. Control Freak, until now silent, put away his remote and pulled out a small metal cylinder with two small prongs on either end. He held it up in a fighting stance, and four red beams were emitted. Henry tried for a nervous chuckle. "This is when you guys say, 'Hi, Henry,' and make me feel like part of the group." He looked around quickly, looking for any sign of Raven. There wasn't one. _C'mon, Henry, think of something! You can't die like this, not to these losers!_ he thought to himself.

"So, Henry," began Control Freak, "what brings you here? Can't you see we're occupied?"

"With standing on a roof? You don't look very busy," countered Henry. The two villains looked at each other, and nodded. Gizmo turned away, and began to walk towards the edge of the building. He crawled down, and disappeared from view.

"We are now," replied Control Freak. "So, Henry, tell me: who are you? Are you another dumb hero?"

"I… suppose I am," Henry answered, sounding unsure.

"That's too bad—you seemed like a nice guy. You look like you've got some Chell cosplay going on," returned Control Freak, motioning with his hand towards Henry's outfit. Henry's jaw dropped; Control Freak had just made a _Portal_ reference.

"Wait, did you just reference _Portal_?" asked Henry, dumbfounded.

"Wait, you understood my _Portal_ reference?" asked Control Freak, lowering his weapon. "That's one of the best game's I've ever played!"

"It's one of my favorites!" replied Henry, letting his inner fanboy out. "It's such a great combination of gaming and puzzle-solving. Have you played the sequel?"

"Have I played the sequel? I've been _inside_ the sequel, with my remote." Control Freak de-activated his weapon, and walked over to Henry. "I tell you what, it's pretty interesting when

******POTENTIAL PORTAL AND PORTAL 2 SPOILERS AHEAD. DO NOT READ THE FOLLOWING SECTION IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO HAVE PARTS OF PORTAL 2 SPOILED. SKIP UNTIL YOU SEE THE LINE OF POUND SYMBOLS TO SKIP THE SPOILERS******

Wheatley 'hacks' the turret production controls."

"Yeah, and when GLaDOS gets put into a potato? And when you're falling, and she's there too, and she says, 'How are you holding up? Because I'm a POTATO!'" Control Freak laughed at Henry's recalling of one of the more interesting parts of the game.

"And Cave Johnson's lemon rant?"

"'I don't want your damn lemons! What am I supposed to do with these?' That was _hysterical_!"

**# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # SAFE TO READ NOW**

"Yeah, I know! I tell you what Henry, I'm overlooking this whole 'you're a hero' business. What do you say we get together someday and do co-op?" asked the nerdy criminal hopefully. Before Henry could respond, however, Gizmo's scream echoed out into the street. Control Freak immediately stepped back and pulled out his weapon.

"What did you do, you monster?" hissed Control Freak.

"I didn't do anything! And why am I a monster?"

"I asked you to do co-op with me, and then you betray me like this? We could have been friends, Henry!" said the villain angrily.

"Umm… I didn't do anything," Henry said, noticing Raven appear from the sign. Henry looked at Control Freak, and slowly back away as Raven's form grew taller, and black tentacles began to flow from her robe. Two sets of red eyes glowed from Raven's face, and Henry felt a chill run down his back.

"Oh, really?" Control Freak replied in disbelief. "Then who did?"

"Me," Raven answered, her voice altered, sounding more demonic. Control Freak barely had enough time to turn around when Raven struck. Henry closed his eyes and covered them. When they opened, Raven had returned to normal, and the unconscious forms of Gizmo, whose metal legs and returned to the backpack from whence they came, and Control Freak lay on the ground. Henry walked over to Raven.

"I don't even want to know how you did that. Just… well done, Raven," Henry commented. Raven looked down at the two defeated villains.

"Let's get these two to the police," Raven replied, and a glow surrounded the two unconscious bodies. They floated into the air, and Raven began to hover over the side of the building. Henry did a quick jog and jumped off the building, absorbing the impact energy. Henry followed shortly behind the empath, in between Control Freak and Gizmo's floating bodies. After a few minutes of silence, Henry spoke up.

"Y'know Raven, I have a problem," he spoke. "Now that I'm a Teen Titan and all, I can't keep going around using my real name."

"Why not?" asked Raven indifferently.

"That's just not how superheroes do things, I guess. You know how Batman doesn't go parading around like, 'Hey everyone, I'm Bru—'"

"Shh! Don't give away his identity!" Raven hushed. "Besides, how do you know Batman's secret identity?"

"Wait, you know?" asked a confused Henry.

"Yes. When I entered Robin's mind a while ago, I learned a few things, the Batman's identity among them. Robin made me promise not to tell anyone, of course, but that's how I found out."

"Ah," Henry replied. "I get it. The reason _I_ know is because, like you guys, Batman is a fictional character in my world. There's a _ton_ of movies about him, in addition to the thousands of comic books, TV shows, and so on. He's really popular, and in fact is probably the reason you guys exist in my universe in the first place."

"How so?"

"The company that published the first Batman comic eventually churned out a comic called 'The Teen Titans,' and over time the comic changed, stopped, and was revived several times. One incarnation was you guys, and that was because of the show on TV**," rattled off Henry.

"You sound like Beast Boy," was how Raven replied. "But, you were saying how you couldn't use your real name?"

"Ah, yes. Right. So, I've been trying to think of a name for myself."

"How's that coming along?"

"Not very good. I can't think of anything cool-sounding," replied the boy teen with disappointment.

After much walking, our young heroes arrived at the police station. After a few minutes of struggling to get Control Freak and Gizmo into the cell, Henry and Raven were free to leave. The criminals, having been stripped of their trademark weapons (and, of course, any and all other weapons), now sat in solitude, complaining about how it "wasn't fair" how Raven and 'that orange guy' had "cheated."

"Well, now what?" asked Henry. "It's only about nine, and we have a long night of patrol ahead of us."

"Yes we do," replied Raven.

The rest of the night was rather uneventful. The only other traces of criminal activity was a cat fight in one of the alleys they passed. The time was about midnight when Henry brought up the idea of taking a break.

"So, Raven, it's been what, four hours since we left the Tower? What do you say we go stop at a café or something," suggested Henry. Raven thought it over for a few seconds, then nodded her head.

"Well, we're supposed to be on patrol, but fifteen minutes would be alright," agreed the empath. "There's a place I've been to a few times before. If we take a right up ahead, we'll be there in about five minutes."

"Awesome," replied Henry. So on they walked, and eventually our heroes reached a small café.

"'Coffee of Doom***,'" read Henry as they approached the door. "Seems like a nice place. I didn't know you drank coffee, Raven."

"I don't," replied the empath as they walked in. Inside were two employees and one customer, and indie music of some sort played a decent volume. Enough to hear it, but it wasn't going to drown your conversation in guitar solos.

"Hey, Hanners, check it out! There's Raven, the Teen Titan," one of the employees called from behind the counter. An African-American male, he had square glasses, medium-length black hair, and short beard. "Hello, and welcome to Coffee of Doom. How may I help you today?"

"Just the herbal tea," Raven said distantly, then walked away.

"And for you, sir?" asked the barista.

"I… uh, don't really drink coffee. What do you suggest?"

"Hmm…. I don't really drink it myself, I just work here," replied the man. "Hannelore, what do you suggest?" he asked, turning to face his blonde coworker.

"Umm, I don't know. Just give him basic coffee," suggested the girl.

"Okay then, black it is," said the man, whose nametag read "Dale."

"How much will this be, Dale?" asked Henry, suddenly realizing he had no money on him. Dale laughed.

"Relax, kiddo. I'm taking it that you're with Raven here?" asked the employee.

"Uh… yeah," replied Henry.

"It's on the house. Least we can do to help repay you for saving Jump all those times. Well, not _you_, buy you're with her, so I guess it's okay," said Dale.

"Wow… Thanks!" thanked Henry. A few minutes went by, and their drinks were ready. Raven floated them over to their table, and the two drank in silence.

"This is nice," Raven said after a while. "No Beast Boy trying to tell some stupid jokes, no Robin having us go train some more, no Cyborg and him constantly referring to his 'baby' the T-Car, and no Starfire trying to cook us some forsaken attempt at food. Just calm, quiet, and some great tea." Henry looked at Raven, surprised. It wasn't like her at _all_ to complain in this manner.

"Wow, Raven, I didn't know you felt that way about your teammates," Henry replied, trying to sound neutral. Raven waved away his words with her hand.

"They're not bad. All of the Titans are good people, and I'm lucky to have such great friends… but sometimes, it gets to be a bit much. Meditation helps, but it doesn't take care of everything." Raven took another drink of tea. "I'm sorry. It's late, and we haven't done patrol in a while, and I didn't get to meditate today. I guess I'm just tired," Raven admitted. Henry nodded.

"I get it, I felt that way too at times back home. It wasn't easy having two parents working two different full-time jobs, one during the day and one at night. One was always away, the other was asleep, and I had school. Plus, a sister needed to be taken care of, and that was my job. Only, I can't meditate for the life of me," Henry said in response.

"Have you ever tried?" questioned the empath.

"Yeah, a couple times. Got inspired by you on the TV, and I was bored one day, so I figured, why not give it a shot? But I just couldn't focus, I guess."

"Hmm," was all Raven replied with. The two sat in silence again, the other customer having left several minutes before hand. Suddenly, the ground began to shake. Raven and Henry stood up and looked outside. Although it was dark, they could see—and hear, and feel—a large orange mechanical suit pound down the street.

"Alright dudes, let's go!" called the voice from within the suit as it passed the Coffee of Doom. The two Titans looked at each other.

"Trouble," said Henry.

"Let's go," replied Raven, and they phased out into the street.

* * *

***I realize I've neglected Raven's sense of wit, so I figured that this was something she was likely to do.**

****This is all true. Go research DC Comics on Wikipedia (yes, I know that it isn't always reliable, but just trust me on this one), and you'll see that **_**Detective Comics**_** was the very begins of the DC we know and love today.**

***** "Coffee of Doom" is the name of the coffee shop that is a main part of the life and drama that is **_**Questionable Content**_**, an absolutely FANTASTIC webcomic by Jeph Jacques. Please, go check it out. I cannot stress that enough. It looks poorly-made in the beginning, but it currently looks very, very good. About comic book quality. NOTE: There is foul language as it progresses, so be aware. But it's nothing worse than what you'd hear in an average American high school.**

* * *

**So that's it everyone! Hope you enjoyed this extra-long chapter. It's kind of a celebration for two things: One) WE FINALLY HIT 1,000 VIEWS! WOOOOO! And two) I've adopted a story by makerboy13, called "The Problems Caused By Control Freak." It's a Portal-Teen Titans crossover, and until the point where I re-posted it as "Raven in Aperture," it was the **_**ONLY**_** Portal-Teen Titans crossover on this website. At least, the only one listed as one. So hopefully, if you like both Teen Titans and Portal, you'll go check it out. Chapter One is a combined version of the first two chapters of the original story, but everything afterwards will be all me. Wow. Such excite, very fanfiction, so crossover. That's all for today, other than the standard "Review if you want, and remember if you have questions, suggestions, or other thoughts, PM me!" Have a fan-freaking-tastic day everyone!**

—**Cortexin**


	12. Familiar Face

_**When we last saw Henry, he was in a café, enjoying a nice cup of coffee… when he was SUPPOSED to be on patrol…**_

_The two sat in silence again, the other customer having left several minutes before hand. Suddenly, the ground began to shake. Raven and Henry stood up and looked outside. Although it was dark, they could see—and hear, and feel—a large orange mechanical suit pound down the street._

_"Alright dudes, let's go!" called the voice from within the suit as it passed the Coffee of Doom. The two Titans looked at each other._

_"Trouble," said Henry._

_"Let's go," replied Raven, and they phased out into the street._

* * *

They re-appeared to see who but Adonis running down the street. However, his suit was larger than normal, and there were many unrecognizable markings on it. He towered over the coffee shop, leaving imprints of his footsteps in the road. Raven and Henry looked on as he ran. Without saying anything, Raven created a disc of energy for the two of them, and flew after Adonis. Raven pulled out her communicator and opened it.

"Raven calling Robin, Beast Boy, Starfire, and/or Beast Boy, I repeat, Raven calling," she said into it. After a moment of silence, a crackle of static was her only reply, followed by Cyborg.

"Raven, this is Cyborg. What's the situation?" asked Cyborg of the T-Communicator.

"Henry and I have run into Adonis. He's got a new suit. I think we'll need the whole team on this one," answered Raven. Suddenly, the mech-suit-armed villain stopped running, and turned around to face Henry and Raven.

"Hey there, good-looking!" called Adonis. "Oh wait, that's just my reflection on this building." Adonis then spun and smashed the side of the office building. He grinned. Raven and Henry landed, with Adonis still a good distance away.

"Adonis," huffed Henry. "He looks… ah, different."

"He does," agreed Raven, not questioning how Henry knew about Adonis looking different. Then it clicked in her mind—he's from a different universe. She would _never_ get over how weird that was. Well, Killowat was from a different universe, too, but at least it was similar to hers.

Wait. Killowat. That was it! She remembered how she had gotten Killowat back to his universe… so they could probably do the same with Henry! Raven made a mental note to contact The Herald after they were finished with this fool.

Back at the Tower, Cyborg was in the process of getting the other Titans out of bed. Lucky for Raven he had been up, working on a special project. The only Titan left was Beast Boy. He pounded on Beast Boy's door.

"Wake up, grass stain! We got villain to fight!" called the Cyborg through the door. After several moments, the changeling within groaned.

"Who?" he asked sleepily.

"Adonis," replied Cyborg. It was all he needed to say. Faster than anyone expected, Beast Boy flew out of his room, clearly angry. The door opened while Cyborg was leaning against it, and so he fell, getting a huge whiff of Beast Boy's room's stench. He wrinkled his nose.

"Oh, that's nasty," commented the cyborg, sounding suspiciously like a certain main protagonist from the Cleveland Show. He stood up and closed the door, and ran after the changeling. "Yo BB, wait up! We don't even know where he is!" Beast Boy's speed ground to a halt, as he had gotten to the elevator. Starfire and Robin were already inside, discussing the situation. Cyborg stepped in, and the Titans stood in relative silence as music played.

_She keeps Moët et Chandon in her pretty cabinet  
'Let them eat cake,' she says just like Marie Antoinette_

The doors opened, and the Titans ran out into the night air. Beast Boy and Starfire flew out into the sky, carrying Cyborg and Robin, respectively. Robin hung from Starfire's arms and pulled out his communicator.

"Raven, Henry, this is Robin. Respond." Nothing. "Raven, Henry, this is Robin. Come in, either of you." Still nothing. "Raven. Henry. Are either of you there!?" asked Robin, now worried. Then Henry's voice and image came through.

"Sorry, the Titan you are trying to reach is not available," Henry said in a mockery of a recording. "Please try again when he is NOT FIGHTING ADONIS!" A thunderous sound came through the T-Communicator.

"Where are you?" asked Robin.

"By Coffee of Doom! There's a big building with part of its side missing. Hurry!" called Henry, then Raven cried out in pain. "Gotta go!" continued Henry, then hung up. Robin closed his own and pocketed it.

"Cyborg, we need to get to the Coffee of Doom," instructed the Boy Wonder. Cyborg responded by lifting his left arm and typing in the panel that appeared. After several seconds, Cyborg spoke.

"It's just by Wayne Enterprises building." Starfire and Beast Boy had both heard Cyborg, and had adjusted their flight path accordingly. Two things made it easy to find: First, the huge letters of W, A, Y, N, and E on top. Second, it was where Robin had made his apprenticeship to Slade known. It was a bad place to think about, especially for Robin, and it wasn't just the Slade issue. The name "Wayne" reminded him of his years under the Batman, and he quickly tried to stop thinking about it.

Meanwhile, Raven and Henry were having their rear ends beat by Adonis. With a new suit, he stood much taller than he had before, and his hydraulic-powered limbs packed quite a punch.

"Calling your _loser_ friends, kids?" taunted the towering Adonis. He ran at Henry, and smashed his side with a quick swing of his metal arm. Henry flew down the street, and landed hard. He could absorb the impact energy of both injuries, but it wasn't enough. He was going to hurt for a while after this. Raven hadn't been fairing any better during their battle. Raven had tried an array of attacks—blasting him with a beam of energy, small discs, her soul self—nothing had worked. Everything either merely was reflected or absorbed. It looked like _nothing_ Raven and Henry could accomplish by themselves was going to work. Adonis, however, was having an inversely proportional amount of success. A lot of his attack had been smash, swing, hit, repeat, but a few of some new tricks had popped up. Once, when Henry had jumped into the air and prepared and electrified kick for Adonis' face, an energy field had appeared just before Henry had made contact, and he had gone flying after hitting it.

Now, the mechanized-armor-wearing villain grinned as he ran at Raven. He moved as if to strike her, and she phased into the ground, and reappeared behind him, floating. Unfortunately for Raven, he had expected this, and so his swing continued past where she had been and proceed to where she was. Too fast for her notice, Raven did not have time to fully protect herself as his fist connected with her side, and she flew towards Henry, who was struggling to get up. She smashed into Henry wit hconsiderable force, and the two tumbled even further away. Adonis, wasting no time, began to charge them again. He jumped up into the air and raised his arms, as if to pound them, and Raven erected an energy field around her and her new teammate. The sound of an explosion and then a loud thud on the ground caused her to remove the shield to look. Henry sat up next to Raven, and they saw that Adonis was laying on the ground, with scorch marks on his mechanical chest. They turned around to see Cyborg, Starfire, Robin, and Best Boy standing in a cliché backup-just-arrived pose. _Could they look any more cavalry-just-arrived?_ Thought the dimensionally-dislocated teen, but he smiled.

"Glad to see you could join us," he said weakly. He tried to stand up, but fell. Raven used her powers to pick him up. His knees wobbled, and he almost fell again, but Beast Boy had caught him.

"Careful there, dude," warned Beast Boy. Robin stepped over to him and Raven.

"You guys look like you're in no position to fight," commented the Titan's leader, quickly feeling Henry's arms, legs, and ribs. He winced at Robin's touch, and the teen looked at Raven. "Raven, can you fight? Anything with you?" She shook her head.

"No, I haven't taken as much of a beating as Henry has. But I'll need to heal him partially," she said.

"Alright, but make it as quick as you can. We're going to need as much power as we can, and Henry isn't in a good condition," replied Robin. Henry made a sound of protest, but Robin silenced him. "Your rib is broken, and you need to rest. We can handle," and that was that. The Teen Titans leader had a look in his face that said 'don't argue,' and Henry wasn't about to. Beast Boy turned into a gorilla and carried Henry away as Adonis stood up. Starfire flew towards him as Robin and Cyborg prepared for their "Sonic Boom" attack. Raven floated after Henry and Beat Boy. A bench was conveniently in front of a building, and the green gorilla laid Henry on it. He turned back into his human form, and Raven held her hands near Henry's broken rib. A blue aura glowed, and Henry felt some of his pain lessen as his body mended under Raven's magic. Then she put her hands down.

"That's all I can do for now. Try not to move too much until we get back," she instructed, then flew off to join the battle. Beast Boy turned to follow her, but Henry stopped him.

"Wait," he called, and the changeling turned back to face him. "When you get to Adonis," said Henry, managing a weak smile, "kick his ass for me." Beast Boy returned the grin, and bounded off in the shape of a wolf to join his teammates. Henry laid there, watching the Titans—no, his _teammates _—fight Adonis. He cursed himself. _Of course, Henry,_ he thought. _First night as a Titan, and you already screw things up by hurting yourself._ Another voice spoke in his head, a variant of his own. _It's not your fault_, it said, but Henry was having none of it. He could only helplessly lay there as the Titans were thrown about, smashed into buildings, and get beat up like rag dolls. He looked around, trying to find any way to help. Then he saw a sign, and an insanely implausible plan pooped into his head. He pulled out his communicator—slowly, as to not hurt himself—and typed in a number he had gotten earlier that day. It rang several times, and the owner picked up.

"We need help. Get here as soon as you can. By Coffee of Doom and Wayne Enterprises, West Mark Street," Henry said into the communicator. After several seconds of silence, the owner replied.

"On my way."

Henry laid in helpless anguish as he watched Adonis smash each Titan. They had put up a valiant fight, but Adonis' new and improved suit was making sure they weren't going to succeed. Henry watched in horror as one by one, Cyborg, Raven, Robin, Beast Boy, and Starfire were thrown about, and finally put in a pile. They laid there, struggling like Henry had earlier. Adonis stood, grinning.

"I can't believe it took this long to beat you losers. Master Gamlon will be pleased with me!" He boasted with arrogance.

"Who is Gamlon?" Robin said weakly, laying defeated. Adonis looked down on him, and spit.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" he taunted as he lifted his foot, ready to smash Robin. Suddenly, three large boulders flew into Adonis' chest, knocking him over. He stood back up, only to be pummeled by a barrage of smaller stones, and the ground beneath him rose into pillars to trap him. An unknown figure moved through the darkness, dancing through the shadows. The rock pillars repeatedly smashed Adonis, and coupled with a constant barrage of rocks, he couldn't stand much longer. Finally, Adonis' suit was busted to the point of it being dangerous for him to be in. He popped out of his ruined suit, and landed face-first on the ground. He stood up to run, but the ground around his feet reached up and grabbed him. He was fastened, incapable of running away. The Titans all looked at one another, not believing what they had seen.

"Those rocks…" muttered Robin.

"The pillars," Raven said, stunned.

"But… that's impossible," Cyborg said, still trying to analyze what had happen.

"There's no way…" was all Beast Boy said.

"But surely, it must be…" Starfire determined. The figure stepped out from the shadows, and all the Titans dropped their jaws.

* * *

_**Flashback**_

_Henry and Beast Boy had just stepped out of the elevator, having finished their little heart-to-heart. The two were bored, and had decided that it was a good idea to go out for food. Nobody else had wanted to go, so it was just the changeling and Henry. They had decided on the usual Titan spot, Pizza Corner. It had been hilarious, with the jukebox and the constant replaying of What's New Pussycat?, and overall had been a great time for the two teens _**[AN: go back to chapter 6, "The Humor Chapter, for a recap if you've forgotten.]**_. On their way home, they decide to walk, and their route had taken them past Murakami High School. Beast Boy had paused for a moment, looking sadly at the building, when Henry spoke up._

"_What's wrong, BB?" asked Henry, concerned._

"_Nothing," replied Beast Boy._

"_Don't lie to me, I know something's up."_

"_This… this is where I saw her. The girl who looked like Terra, I mean," answered Beast Boy, looking sad. Henry thought back to their conversation earlier. _

"_Wait right here," Henry said, and ran off into the school._

"_Wait!" called Beast Boy, but it was no use. Henry was one. Beast Boy sighed, and found a bench to sit on while Henry was busy. Inside the school, classes were letting out, and students walked among the halls, the hundreds of conversations echoing through the halls. Henry pushed through the crowds, looking for the girl who looked like Terra. He had spent minutes, but could not find her. He thought he had once, but it turned out to just be a boy with _really_ long hair. After that awkward encounter, he tried asking around, but not one student helped him. Feeling disappointed, he began to make his way to the exit. He had been searching for over ten minutes, and most of the students were gone. Henry was walking past a classroom when he heard a familiar laugh. He turned to look to see where it had come from, and two girls behind him, talking. His eyes widened—there she was! Walking with her was an ordinary brunette with short hair and matching uniform. He walked towards them._

"_Excuse me, but I need to talk to you," he said to the Terra-lookalike. She turned to her friend._

"_Go on, Sarah, I'll catch up," she said, and her friend walked off. Henry turned to watch her, and when she was out of earshot, turned back to the blonde._

"_Listen. My name's Henry. My friend Beast Boy said he talked to you a few days ago. Is this true?" She nodded, and Henry continued. "Listen, Terra, I need to know: do you still have your powers? Are you still you?" The girl started walking again, pushing past Henry. He caught up to her, and put a hand on her shoulder. "Please, I need to know the truth. I'm not going to tell anyone, Terra. Are you still Terra?"_

_The girl stared at Henry, her eyes open. For a moment, she was silent. Then her head dropped._

"_Yes," was all she said. But her head popped back up. "I'm not coming back, okay? I screwed things up and almost got them all killed! It's better this way, to be normal!" Henry nodded. _

"_I understand, but I need a way to contact you, just in case. What if there's another emergency? What if they needed help? Would you just sit here and let them fall?" asked Henry, pleading. "I need your number, Terra. I swear I won't give it to anyone."_

"_Why should I trust you?" she asked, annoyed._

"_On faith, Terra. I'm staying with them, due to… reasons. It's complicated, but I'll tell you someday if you want," Henry said, his eyes begging. Terra stood there, the two simply looking at the other. Finally, Terra yielded._

"_Alright, but it's our secret. Only contact me if there's an emergency," said Terra, setting down her books and getting out a pencil and paper. She wrote down the number, and left without a word._

_Henry came out of the school, trying to hide his excitement._

"_Let's go, Beast Boy," said Henry in a dejected tone._

"_Dude, what did you do? You were gone for like twenty minutes!" said the changeling._

"_It doesn't matter. She's gone, BB. I checked like you did, but I couldn't find her. I wanted to see if she was still herself."_

_Their journey was silent until they got to the Tower, when they had to recount their crazy adventure at Pizza Corner._

_**End Flashback**_

* * *

A blonde girl stood, wearing a black crop-cut T-shirt, gray shorts, and brown boots. A yellow 'T' in a circle was all that appeared on the shirt. Goggles sat on her face, but she removed them to look at the laying Titans. She smiled weakly, and waved.

"Hi, guys," she greeted.

"TERRA!?" came the reply of all the Titans.

* * *

**Oh, cliffhanger. Sorry. *laughs* Okay, no I'm not sorry. I feel evil, buuuut…. It had to be done.**

**So, what do you all think? Glad to see a certain geomancer come back? Hate her guts and want her head roasted on a spit? Let me know in a review! Or a PM! I think I'll keep this ending AN short. Okay, so I guess that's it for today. Updates will be farther apart, due to school, homework, chores, and other stuff. See you all later! Thanks for reading, and have a fan-freaking-tastic day!**

—**Cortexin**


	13. Choose Your Own Chapter Title

_**When we last saw Henry, Terra had returned! (dun dun DUN!)**_

_A blonde girl stood, wearing a black crop-cut T-shirt, gray shorts, and brown boots. A yellow 'T' in a circle was all that appeared on the shirt. Goggles sat on her face, but she removed them to look at the laying Titans. She smiled weakly, and waved._

_"Hi, guys," she greeted._

_"TERRA!?" came the reply of all the Titans._

* * *

The Titans stood still as their brains tried to process what they saw. Terra stood in front of them, smiling. In Beast Boy's mind, their last moments together played in his mind.

"_You were the best friend I ever had," she had said. She floated the rock he was standing on away, and Cyborg put a comforting arm around his shoulders. Then, all of the Titans ran from the collapsing chamber. _

All of the other Titans thought of watching Terra's brave rebellion against Slade. Henry watched as the scene unfolded, glued to the edge of his couch. Although Terra didn't know it, the Titans' final farewell had left roses and a plate inscribed with the words TERRA: A TEEN TITAN, A TRUE FRIEND.

Beast Boy was the first to react.

"TERRA!" he exclaimed with pure joy, bounding over to her. He tackled her in a hug, and held onto her tight. When he pulled away, the two locked eyes. Beast Boys' eyes watered. "H-how?" he stammered, still smiling. "I thought you were—" he began, but the sound of laughter interrupted him.

"Oh, isn't this just _soooo_ romantic?" mocked a voice from out of sight.

"Looks like snot-brain and his girlfriend finally get to kissy-kiss!" mocked a second. Raven made a face—she recognized the voices from earlier that night.

"Control Freak and Gizmo? How did you get out?" she asked angrily, raising her hands with a glow around them.

"That's for us to know…" taunted Gizmos, suddenly appearing in view. He flew the air on wings coming out his backpack, Control Freak held underneath of him with a metal tentacle.

"…and you to never find out!" finished Control Freak, the two landing on the crumpled armor that Adonis had worn with a _thud_. The hatch was open, and Gizmo slid into it, his tiny bald head looking comical on top of the giant suit. Whirs, whizzes, and clicks sounded from the inside of the suit, and suddenly it stood back up, Control Freak standing on the shoulder. The bumps and dents still stood where Terras' attacks had struck, but a green interface stood out against the orange color of the suit. Metal spikes came out of the back of the suit, and came out from around the sides to point towards the Titans. Control Freak lifted his remote and clicked it, and a black-and-white monster roared into existence. Gizmo laughed.

"Ha ha, crud-munchers! Try and stop us NOW!" he yelled, and charged forward with the monster.

"Titans, GO!" instructed Robin, and rushed forward into battle. He jumped up onto the creature's head, and leapt towards Gizmo. The bald criminal swiped a mechanical tentacle into Robin, and he flew sideways, but not without tossing a few smoke grenades towards the unusual mech. Robin landed, and stood up only to face Control Freak. The Titan leader whipped out his bo staff just in time to block the nerd's strike with his quad-saber, placing it between the emitters. The rest of the Titans took to action as Robin faced off against Control Freak, with Starfire flying towards Gizmo, who was blinded by Robin's smoke. She blasted him green starbolts, but the attacks didn't seem to faze him. Raven chanted her incantation, and tossed several nearby cars into the suit, causing it to stagger. Cyborg and Beast Boy took on the swamp beast, Cyborg blasting it with a burst from his sonic cannon. The green changeling charged at it in the form of a triceratops, but the Creature from Jones Lake stuck out a hand and pushed against him. The two struggled to push the other, but the ground underneath the monster suddnely rose, and it was flipped backwards into Adonis' suit. Gizmos yelled in panic as he was toppled over, but quickly stood back up. The Creature fazed out of existence, but was quickly replaced by a small legion of robots, who commenced to open laser fire on the teen superheroes.

As the fight raged, Henry watched. _I shouldn't just lay here!_ he thought to himself. _But your ribs, _his mind argued. _Raven said to—Screw my ribs!_ He mentally argued with himself, and stood up. He nearly fell over due to the pain that shot through him, but it subsided. Not completely, but it was just bearable enough as to not majorly impede in his movement capabilities. He hobbled over to the fight, watching as Starfire blasted Gizmo with a burst from her eyes, only to be swiped by his mechanical suit's arm into the ground. Robin and Control Freak were locked in one-on-one combat, with the redhead criminal jumping nimbly due to his gravo-boots. Raven, Beast Boy, and Cyborg blasted and fought the reoccurring droids, while Terra continued to knock Gizmos with stones and boulders taken from the street. Gizmo manage to catch one in Adonis' suit—its owner still held in a stone prison, helpless—and tossed it over towards the droids. Raven, distracted by some nearby enemies, didn't notice the boulder until it was too late—it smashed into her, sending her flying back into the ground. Henry wobbled faster, ignoring his pain. Raven lay underneath the boulder, struggling to push it off of her. The orange-clad boy forced energy and strength into his upper body, and in a tremendous feat, lifted the boulder off of his teammate. He set it down nearby, and collapsed onto it from pain and exhaustion. His world turned to white, and sounds around him became a dull roar in his head. He could barely feel his body beneath him, and his thoughts were all jumbled. Suddenly, the red eye-tentacle thing filled his mind, and it felt as if it was staring into his soul. He "stared" at it, but its red glow began to fill more and more of his vision. The red began to darken, and became black, filling more and more of what he could "see" in his mind. Everything became dark, save for the glowing being in front of him

_**The Ellimist has touched you, child,**_ it—at, least, Henry assumed that the voice belonged to it—spoke, grating throughout his mind. Henry recognized the voice as that of the green slime guy from earlier. _**I can sense his presence on you… do not try to hide from me, Henry.**_ Hearing it speak his name sent shivers down Henry's spine, or at least it would have if he could feel it. _**You are his chosen token. Very well, then. You will meet mine. Soon… But sooner, we will meet again. Rather, you will meet my messenger…**_ echoed the voice, and Henry felt something burst out of his body, and then all went silent, save for the word "Crayak" to bounce around in his head.

Raven was the first to feel the influx of power from the wave of energy. She looked over Henry's unconscious form when the white wave burst forth from him. She felt completely revitalized, and her eyes began to glow. She turned and blasted the legion of robots several yards away.

Cyborg, whose batteries had become dangerously close to running out, suddenly were filled to the maximum. He fire his sonic cannon and completely eliminated the new droids that reappeared.

Starfire, weary from her constant bursts of energy, was filled with unbridled emotion unlike she had ever felt before. She unleashed a green blast the disintegrated the Adonis suit, and Gizmo dropped to the ground.

Terra glowed yellow as she felt the surge of power run through her. The geomancer smashed her fist into the ground, resulting in a shockwave that sent Control Freak falling to the ground, and knocked over yet another small army of droids.

Beast Boy's animal instincts screamed inside of him, yet calmed deeply. Power second to only the Beast coursed through him, and a large green phoenix blasted the fallen robots, melting them into a huge pile of metal.

A rush of strength gripped Robin, and with one swift motion he disarmed the shaken Control Freak of all of his weapons. In a matter of ten seconds, the newly-empowered Titans defeated their opponents. Control Freak, Gizmo, and Adonis soon found themselves tied up, with the JCPD on the way.

"Way to go, guys," Robin complemented, admiring his handiwork as the three criminals were put into an armored prison vehicle.

"We freaking rocked!" agreed Cyborg. "Booyah!" Terra jumped into Beat Boy's arms, and he spun around in sheer happiness, the two laughing. Even Raven smiled, and she chuckled as she watched Starfire crush Robin in a spine-shattering hug. Then she turned around, and spotted Henry. He wasn't moving, slumped onto the boulder he had lifted off of Raven. She ran over to him, and immediately checked him for damage. He was breathing, which was good, but his body was giving off a dangerous sign of shutdown. He needed help, and fast. Her magic wasn't going to cut it. She lifted him with her energy, and floated him towards the other Titans. They stopped when they saw him.

"He's barely breathing. We need to get him to the Tower, now" was all Raven said. She flew into the air, and was followed by Starfire carrying Robin, Beast Boy carrying Cyborg, and Terra floating on her own rock. It took only a minute for Raven to smash through the Tower's main window, and she held Henry's body under the knees and head to make sure she didn't drop him by not focusing on her magic. She ran into the sick bay, and put Henry onto it. He let out a groan, but otherwise didn't show signs of response. She looked at the different medical equipment, and realized she didn't have a clue how to use it. Taking it off of somebody was one thing, but putting it one properly? That was something you didn't learn from the monks of Azar. She would have to wait until Cyborg and Robin arrived. In the meantime, she would do what she could. She held her hands near his chest, and recited her incantation.

"Azarath, metrion, zinthos. Azarath, metrion, zinthos," she repeated, and blue energy covered his body. Most of his physical wounds would mend, but he would wake up bruised and sore.

"Raven, good thinking," Robin said from the doorway, stepping into the room. Cyborg followed close behind. "We've got it from here," continued Robin, and Raven left. She knew he was in good hands, but her Emoticlones decided that now would be good time to speak up. _That was smart, Raven,_ Knowledge offered. _Oh, man! Looks like he kicked his own butt! _complained Brave. _Worried much?_ commented a voice Raven hadn't heard before, and she almost thought back to ask who it was when Happy interrupted her. _We almost touched his butt!_ Annoyed, Raven phased into a wall, appearing in her room to meditate.

In the ops room, Starfire, Terra, and Beast Boy stood, unsure of what to do. They had seen Raven disappear, and figured that it would best to leave it alone. Starfire looked at Terra, and realized she had not yet recognized her friend's return. She flew into Terra, hugging her tightly and floating a foot in the air.

"It is most wonderful to have you back!" she exclaimed. Terra's face turned blue as she struggled to resist the Tameranian grip.

"Star… can't… breathe…" she said between gasps. The alien quickly dropped her, and apologized.

"I am sorry, Terra. But tell us—how are you back? Beast Boy had said that you could not recall your name. I believe Robin said it was the amnesia?" asked Starfire. Beast Boy looked at her, confused as well.

"Yeah, you said that you weren't who I wanted you to be. Why?" Terra looked at her friends, and sighed as she fell into the couch.

"I… I didn't want to just come back and ask to join. I had caused so much trouble for you guys, I figured it would be best to leave you alone, and start anew," explained Terra with a sad look.

"But Terra, we forgive you! At least, I do," Beast Boy said, sitting next to his blonde friend. He took her hand in his, and squeezed it tight. "You were the bravest person I ever knew, and we all missed you. We tried so hard to fix you, we did. Cyborg tried to find a process to un-stonify you, and Raven tried every magic trick in her books. Nothing worked," he added sadly. "But I don't care how you were freed, I'm just glad you're back, Terra," he finished. The blonde looked at her green friend, and teared up.

"I… I don't know what to say. I don't deserve friends like you guys," she said softly. Starfire floated onto the couch, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Of course you do," comforted Starfire, and she and Beast Boy hugged Terra. They stayed like that for several minutes, none of the three saying a word.

Robin stepped out of the medical area, rubbing a hand through his spiky hair. What had happened to Henry? He seemed fine, but he wasn't responding to most tests. Perhaps, all he needed to do was wait. Robins' thoughts strayed back to their fight. After the burst of energy, he had been able to fight much harder, faster, and stronger than he had. Talking with the others on the way back to the tower had revealed that something similar had occurred to them. But for now, all he could do was wait until Henry woke up. At the moment , he had a bigger issue at hand: Terra. The Boy Wonder walked out into the ops room, and saw Terra, Beast Boy, and Starfire all hugging and sniffling on the couch. His hard face dropped, thinking of how much his teammates must have missed Terra. He had, too. Even though she betrayed them to Slade—he shuddered at the thought—in the end, Terra had done the right thing. He respected that, but he wasn't ready to let her back into the team yet. He walked over to the hugging trio.

"Sorry to interrupt, guys, but it's late. You need to get to bed," he said. The three pulled apart and wiped their eyes, and Beast Boy stood up.

"Uh, Robin, since Terra's room doesn't have any blankets or pillows, and I have a bunk bed," Beast Boy started. "CanTerrastayinmyroompleasepleaseIpromisenothing'llhappen?" he asked quickly, looking up at Robin in an attempt to mimic Starfire. Robin looked down at Beast Boy, and over to Terra. He let out a sigh of exhaustion.

"Fine, but only until we figure out what's going on with her," he replied sternly, looking directly into Terra's eyes. "We have a lot to talk about tomorrow," he said, but then he smiled. "If Beast Boy's room doesn't kill you first." Beast Boy jumped up and down and hugged Robin.

"Oh, thanks, Robin!" he said happily, and he let go and walked to the elevator with Terra in tow. Starfire sat on the couch, yawning.

"Robin?" she asked. "Since Beast is having Terra over, can you and I… could we…" stammered the alien. Robin started to sweat slightly. "Could we have a sleepover?" Robin's jaw hung open, and his eyes widened, his mask moving to show it.

"Ahh… sure, Star," he finally answered. Starfire squealed with delight, and crushed Robin in a hug.

"Oh, glorious! We can tell the spooky stories, and play the game of truth-or-dare, and—I will go set up!" Starfire flew off into the elevator. Robin exhaled. He was tired, but it was going to be a long night. At least, he would be able to spend it with Starfire. Perhaps tonight would be the night he asked her on a date? He shook his violently, trying to mentally prepare himself. He walked back into the sick bay, where Cyborg was finishing some tests on Henry.

"How's he doing?" asked Robin.

"Not bad, but he could be better," Cyborg replied. "He's got a very injured rib, and that's _after_ Raven healed it. He appears to have a very low trace of a strange energy signature. I'm not sure where it's from, but I'm guessing it's got something to do with his powers."

"Hmm…"

"Yeah. We'll check on it when he gets better. I say give him a day or two hooked up here, and if he's not better we'll talk to the higher-ups," referring to the Justice League. Robin nodded.

"If that's all, I've got to go. Sleep-over with Starfire tonight, and I can't keep her waiting." Cyborg grinned and raised his eyebrow, and Robin responded with his face becoming very flat. Cyborg chuckled.

"I kid ya. Have fun tonight, but not _too_ much, okay?" Robin snorted as he left, understanding his friend's humor. Frankly, Robin thought that he'd be making more of it himself if he wasn't team leader—he had to remain mature, as hard as that was at times. He stepped into the elevator, and as the doors closed, another began to play.

_Man, we should probably change the music in here,_ thought Robin as rode the machine upwards.

* * *

Gemlon smashed his fist onto a table.

"DAMMIT!" he swore, shattering the table into a thousand pieces. "Those blasted Titans!" He stood up, and every part of him vibrated in anger. "I… er….." he muttered to himself, slowly thinking of an idea. "If they could barely stop me _together_, then…" he stopped talking, and laughed. "Brilliant!" he complimented himself. He walked over to a large interface, with a large, basketball-sized red crystal connected to the screen. He placed his hands on it, and closed his eyes, concentrating on his idea at hand. A noise clicked nearby, and he opened his eyes. Onscreen appeared small child, wearing only a diaper. He held a miniature bow, and a proportionally-sized quiver was on his back. Small wings sprouted from his shoulder blades. "DRODE!" called Gemlon, turning away from the screen. A figure stood in the shadows, not stepping out to be seen.

"Yes, Gemlon?" asked the figure.

"Go off to your master. Tell him I need this" he instructed, motioning to his screen. In an instant, a cold chill swept through the room, and the Drode was gone.

* * *

**There's that! Not my best chapter, I feel, but it's still pretty good. The next chapter will explore why Raven rushed to save Henry, and what will happen to Terra. That's all for today. Remember, I love a review or two, and if you would like to talk to me about the story, PM me. I'm always open to ideas and suggestions. Thanks, and have a fan-freaking-tastic day!**

—**Cortexin**


	14. Case of the Love Bug

_**When we last saw Henry, he was unconscious. In the meantime, the Titans were sorting out sleeping arrangements…**_

_"If that's all, I've got to go. Sleep-over with Starfire tonight, and I can't keep her waiting." Cyborg grinned and raised his eyebrow, and Robin responded with his face becoming very flat. Cyborg chuckled._

_"I kid ya. Have fun tonight, but not __too__ much, okay?" Robin snorted as he left, understanding his friend's humor. Frankly, Robin thought that he'd be making more of it himself if he wasn't team leader—he had to remain mature, as hard as that was at times. He stepped into the elevator, and as the doors closed, another began to play._

Man, we should probably change the music in here_,__ thought Robin as rode the machine upwards._

* * *

As it turned out, Terra was not susceptible to the horrible stench that was Beast Boy's room. (**AN: Perhaps the lack of a nose had something to do with it?**) The girl stepped into the green room, and was surprised at how clean it was, considering it was _Beast Boy's_ room. Sure, there were piles of clothes everywhere. Sure, the fact that there was food piled in one corner was a little off-putting. And fine, maybe the garbage all over the floor was a bit much. But Terra didn't care—she was back in the Tower, with her best friend in the world. It felt awkward to be back in the Tower, considering what had transpired since the last time she was in it. Nearly destroying Jump City, helping Slade, and fighting the Titans… but that didn't matter right now. She was with Beast Boy, and she knew in that moment that if Robin and the other Titans let her stay, she would _never_ leave. It had taken a long time, but Terra had finally realized that this was the best she would ever have it.

"So, uh, sorry about the mess," Beast Boy apologized, pushing a pile of dirty uniforms to the side of the room, breaking Terra's train of thought.

"Oh, I don't care," replied the blonde, waving her hand. "It's kind of you to offer me your room while this, ah… situation… gets worked out.

"No biggie, Terra! Besides, it's been _ages_ since anyone came in here voluntarily. Apparently, it 'smells really bad' or something. I don't notice it," said the changeling. He looked around, and walked into his closet. He grabbed a pair of pajamas with green ducks on them, and held them out to Terra. "Uh, I don't know if they'll fit, but if you want them, you can have 'em," offered Beast Boy. Terra looked at them for a moment, and then took them.

"Where should I change?" asked the geomancer. Beast Boy blushed slightly—he hadn't thought of that.

"Ah… Bathroom, down the hall. You remember where it is, right?"

"Yeah, I do. Be right back!" called the blonde as she walked out of the room. The doors closed, and Beast Boy collapsed. He lay on the floor. _Okay, Beast Boy, collect yourself,_ he thought. _You have a girl sleeping in your room. It's Terra. She's back. She's alive. And she's a good guy again._ He smiled at the last thought—it meant that he could finally…. No. _What about Raven? _He had just finally begun to accept his feelings for her when suddenly Terra was back. Had he ever liked Raven, truly? Of course, she was a great friend and awesome teammate, despite her being "moody" at times. For the green Titan, it was easy to overlook the empath's past. _Sure_, she was half-demon, and had almost caused the world's end. But Beast Boy had always been able to look past what somebody _was_, and see who they really _were_. Take Cyborg, for example. He had been a normal jock, until his accident. Now he was a mostly metal-and-electronics being with not a whole lot of human body left. That didn't change who he was. The cyborg was a technological genius, a funny guy, and more importantly, a good friend. Beast Boy trusted Cyborg with his life. Did he trust Raven with his life? Yes. In fact, he trusted all of the Titans, save for Henry. He had simply not known him long enough to make a judgment on that. As he sat there thinking, Terra was changing in the bathroom, doing some thinking of her own.

_What if they don't like me anymore?_ she wondered as she looked into the mirror. _What if I CAN'T stay. Where will I go?_ Terra looked into her own eyes. Images went through her head, back from when she had worked for Slade. Wearing the suit. Fighting the Titans. The feeling of weakness when Slade had controlled her. But then, there was the moment when she realized when she DID have a choice, that she COULD fight Slade. And the worst of all, having to make Beast Boy float away. It wasn't fair to her. The two had never been able to grow into something. They had had _one_ date, and that had been ruined by Slade. Perhaps this time around… Terra blushed at the thought. Of course she still felt for Beast Boy. She had never stopped. Fighting him was the hardest thing she had ever done in her life, and it tore at her emotionally. But to see him now, so willing to forgive her when the others still were leery… that gave her hope. As she stepped out of the bathroom and walked down the hall, she made her mind up right then and there that someday, someday soon, she and Beast Boy would go on a date again. A proper date, with just the two of them.

Not once did she ever think that perhaps maybe, _just maybe_, another person had begun to feel love's pull, and it had begun to pull them in the direction of a shape-shifting jokester. No, never in Terra's mind did it ever occur to her that perhaps Beast Boy had moved on, either. Of course, time had gone on without her in the stone chamber. But Terra would be forgiven, as fate would have it, for despite the changeling's potential other romantic interests, his heart would yearn for—and only for—her.

Elsewhere in the Tower, Robin had checked in with Starfire. She had needed "another quarter of the hour" to prepare. That was just enough time to grab a blanket for himself. It was a quick trip down to his room, and it would be just as quick a trip back. As he passed Raven's room, however, he stopped. The door was open, and Raven sat cross-legged in the air. He stepped a foot in, and knocked on the wall.

"Come in, Robin," Raven said. The leader walked into the room as Raven stopped her mediation and stood to face Robin.

"Am I interrupting anything?" asked Robin. Raven shook her head, and Robin continued speaking. "Listen, you did great out there tonight. What you did with Henry, that was some quick-thinking, and I'm glad you did it. Judging from what Cyborg and I ran tests on, he was perfectly fine. Did you sense anything odd about him?"

"Robin, I felt him dying. His life-force was fading. It felt like something else was in his mind, something with far greater power than even Trigon. I don't know what it was, Robin, but it scared me, and you know I don't scare." Robin stayed silent for a moment. Dying? Something more powerful than Trigon?

"We'll look into this in more detail later. For now, get some sleep, Raven. You need it," replied Robin. "I don't like the sounds of it, but for now… We all need to rest. Good night, Raven," he said, and turned to leave. In the short time it took to get from Raven's room to Starfire's, the entire vibe changed dramatically. From the darkness and gloom, Robin walked into a bright, cheery light. In the middle of the room, where the bed would be, was a tent. Several blankets made up the outer layer, and a light glowed from within. He couldn't tell what made up the bars, but it didn't really matter. The tent was very well-made, and he would have to congratulate Starfire on that when he—

"AHH!" he screamed in surprise, feeling something suddenly rub against his leg. He jumped up into the air, looking down to only see Silkie wearing a smile, if a moth larva could smile. Starfire floated over, and smiled.

"Robin! It is wonderful to see you. Hopefully, my little _bumgorf_ did not startle you too much," she said as she bent down and picked up the silkworm. Silkie wriggled about, and Starfire tickled its belly. "Silkie? Are _you_ my little _bumgorf_? Are you?" Silkie wriggled even more, and 'laughed' as her owner's finger tickled its underbelly. "Yes you are! You _are_ my little _bumgorf_!" Suddenly, a shot of silk came from Silkie's behind, and splattered Robin in his face. Starfire stopped, and looked horrified at Robin, whose entire face was covered with silk. His hand came up, and slowly pulled it all off. His skin was red from where the silk had attached and then been removed. Somehow, miraculously, his mask had stayed on, and Robin moved his head slowly between Silkie, Starfire, and the silk in his hand.

"Um, Robin are you okay?" asked the alien cautiously. Then Robin laughed.

"Okay? Of _course_ I'm okay! C'mon, what are we doing next?" he asked, still laughing. He dropped the silk to the ground, and Starfire placed Silkie down.

"Well, we can watch a movie, or we can do the truth or dare, or…" Starfire began happily, but Robin zoned out. This was going to be a long night…

* * *

The being crept through the alley, careful not to make a sound. The Drode knew that if he was caught out and about, Crayak would not be pleased. His Master, and his only _true_ Master, had made it perfectly clear that failure on his part would end in immediate extermination, and the Drode didn't want that—it was too much fun serving Crayak. And this mission, this very special mission, had crossed the boundaries of the universe itself. It had almost destroyed his Master, and the Drode himself, but the alternate universe was fascinating. Sure, there were times when travelling throughout the galaxy were less 'fun' and more 'life-threatening,' but the Drode could handle it. The last of his kind, he took his self-preservation seriously. So what if he had betrayed the billions of innocents and allowed the Howlers to ravage his planet, in exchange for his own life? He never felt bad about it—his kind were incapable of remorse. But to allow his people to permanently die out—that was unthinkable. The Drode still had a shred of dignity.

Stepping into hidden door, the Drode quickly made his way down the stairs. Upon entering the "living room" as Gemlon called it, the Drode passed several of the green, oozing servants. The mere sight of the monstrosities made his tail quiver with disgust. The Drode, of course, was no looker either, but nobody was going to call him out on being hypocritical. He stood nearly the height of man, with a body like that of a velociraptor. His tail extended two feet pat his skinny, reptilian legs, and ended in a stump. Clawed hands hung at the end of long, multi-jointed arms, and his dark skin hid him well in the shadows. However, his face is what gave what people who saw the Drode—and lived to tell about it—nightmares. Eerily human, only the narrow jaw, wrinkly skin, and sharp teeth gave the impression that the head was not sewn onto the body and painted green. The dark, scaly skin covered every inch of the hairless face, and only the brighter green eyes and lips stood out against the near-black body. The Drode walked until he came to another doorway. He walked through, and announced his arrived.

"I am back, Master Gemlon," hissed the Drode. The seated figure in front of him did not move from his chair in front of several screens.

"Have you completed your assignment?" asked Gemlon, his tone neutral.

"Yes, Master. Let us hope that this idea of yours will not fail us like those babbling fools last time…"

* * *

Cyborg "woke up" from his charging. He unplugged himself, and sauntered down to the elevator, yawning as he did so. He may have been a cyborg, but his human side was tired. Some eighties song played, but Cyborg didn't pay attention. He was already lost in thought. Cyborg, like the other Titans, was excited to see Terra back. Like Robin, however, he was concerned. The last time that Terra had come back, she was working for Slade. Cyborg knew that Robin was considering this being the case again, but Slade was gone, wasn't he? He brushed thoughts of the masked villain away, not wanting it on his mind at the moment. Cyborg was not ready to obsess over him like Robin had. As the elevator doors opened, he was surprised to see a bustling Tower. Robin and Starfire sat at the kitchenette's counter, talking and smiling over breakfast. Raven sat on the couch, reading a large, worn book. Terra and Beast Boy were also on the couch, playing _Twisted Wheels 2._ Starfire turned away from her conversation, and greeted Cyborg.

"Good morning, friend Cyborg! It appears that you have the sleepy head, no?"

"Morning, Star," Cyborg returned, and walked up to Robin. "Why is everyone up so early today?"

"Cyborg, it's ten o'clock. You're up late," explained Robin. "But it was a late night, so I figured that you still needed time to fully charge. Besides, it's Saturday." Cyborg looked down at his friend and teammate.

"Thanks man, I appreciate it. How's Henry?"

"Still unconscious, but his vitals are fine. I had Raven probe his mind. Nothing wrong with him there. We checked on him about eight."

"I think I'll go check him again, just in case he's decided to wake up since then," said Cyborg, and he wandered over to the sick bay. It was smart of him to put it on the same level as the ops room, he thought to himself. He walked in and checked the various equipment. Everything was fine, just like Robin had said—so why was Henry still unconscious? Luckily for Cyborg, that was about to be nullified, because just as he was about to leave, he heard a voice come from behind him.

"Hey, Cyborg," Henry called weakly. Cyborg turned around to see Henry sitting up.

"Hey, you're awake!" Cyborg said, surprised, as he walked back over to Henry. "How ya feeling?"

"Okay, I guess. I feel sore all over. What happened? Did we beat Gizmo and Control Freak?" asked Henry, adjusting in his bed to sit upright more.

"We sure did. You let off some sorta wave of energy just before you went unconcious, and it gave us all strength. Don't know how you did it, but I tell you what, it saved my metal butt. I was almost out of power, and then I was suddenly fully-charged again. The others said that they felt renewed as well."

"Awesome," replied Henry, thinking about how he had felt energy release from within him just before he stopped seeing the red eye-thing. _Guess that must have been what that was_, he thought to himself. "How'd I get here?"

"Raven took you, and she was moving fast. Never seen her move like that before in my life. You must have had something bad going on if she was rushing like she did. Lucky for you, she did. When we got you set up here, your vitals were all over the place, but after a few seconds, they went back to normal."

"Oh. Well, I guess I owe her a big thanks, don't I?"

"I guess you do. C'mon, let's get you outta here on onto your feet," suggest Cyborg, and he started to unhook Henry from the medical apparatuses that he was connected to. That process took a minute, and Henry slowly shifted himself to put his feet onto the floor. He recoiled at the cold, but Cyborg helped him up, although his knees wobbled slightly, Henry had little trouble walking. The two walked into the main room, and Beast Boy—his game with Terra on pause for breakfast—was the first to see Henry. He jumped out of his chair and came over to him.

"Henry, dude, you're okay!"

"Yeah, I am. How are you, Beast Boy?"

"Pretty good. You want some breakfast? I got some tofu eggs, ready to eat," offered the green teen. Cyborg's face twisted into one of disgust.

"No way, grass stain. He just got up, and you wanna make him sick? Henry, I'll cook you some _real_ food." Henry laughed.

"Thanks, Cyborg. Sorry, BB, but tofu isn't for me," he replied. Beast Boy lowered his head, and walked back to his seat next to Terra. Robin walked up and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, Henry, glad to see you're up and better. You had us worried for a while there, but luckily Raven was quick-thinking, and brought you here as fast as she could," Robin said.

"Yeah, Cyborg told me. My side still hurts, but I guess that's that. Now, let's—" Henry began to reply, but was cut off by alarms going off. The screen in front of the couch changed into a map of the city, and a flashing red marker appeared. Instinctively, all of the Titans ran over to the screen.

"The Bank of Pérez, _again_," moaned Cyborg. Seriously, when where they going to invest in a better security system?

"Titans, go!" Robin instructed, and the window nearest to them retracted.

"Alright!" called Terra, jumping into the air and pumping her fist, but Robin approached her.

"Sorry, Terra, but you're staying here, with Henry. Until you and I have our little 'chat,' I cannot allow you to partake in crime-fighting." Terra's face dropped, and Robin continued. "It's nothing personal, but it is a protocol I must follow." With that, he turned and allowed Starfire to fly away with him. Beast Boy came over and put his hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay, Terra. You'll be with us the next time, and we'll kick butt just like we used to!" he said happily, earning him a smile from the girl.

"Thanks, Beast Boy. Now go on, and kick bad guy butt for me!" she exclaimed as he transformed and flew off with Cyborg. Raven flew out shortly, and the window returned to its usual state. Terra stood by it, watching as her… friends… flew off. She let out a sigh, and walked over to plop herself on the couch. Henry, meanwhile, had gone over to the kitchen, where sausage was almost burning. He finished cooking it, and walked out into the "living room" part of the ops room. He handed Terra a plate with several sausages and a fork on it, and sat next to her.

"Thanks for coming back, Terra," he said after swallowing a bite of sausage. "I know it's not easy, coming back, but I bet you'll be glad you did." Terra took a moment to respond.

"Thanks for getting me to come back. I missed this, all of this—" she replied, motioning with her fork to the room around her, "despite the bad things I did. But I still feel… unwelcome," she continued. Henry nodded.

"Well, it's been not even a day since you've come back. They're still trying to get used to having you back, Terra. It was tough for them, losing you, Beast Boy especially. But they've forgiven you, Terra. The entire city has." The two continued eating in silence for a short while, until Terra spoke up.

"How do you know so much? Who _are_ you?" Henry put his plate down to his side.

"It's a long story, but since we've got nothing but time…" Henry began, and he started telling his story.

Meanwhile, the Titans had arrived at the bank, with no clear signs of an enemy. The five original Titans stood outside of the bank, and were confused.

"That's weird," commented Cyborg, checking his arm interface. "The system doesn't mess up. There must be _something_ going on." No sooner had the words left his lips than something fast streaked by his face. He looked and saw an arrow sticking out of the wall next to him, with a piece of paper attached to it. He pulled off the paper, unrolled it, and read the message.

_My first is foremost legally_

_My second circles outwardly_

_My third leads all in victory_

_My last twice ends a nominee_

_My whole is this gate's only key._

_What am I?_

The Titans surrounded Cyborg, trying to figure out what the message it meant.

"Read it again, Cyborg," Raven said, and he did. She stood there, listening to the riddle. It was a word, she knew that—the style of riddle made it clear. After a few moments, however, Robin interrupted everyone's train of thoughts.

"We can't just stand around trying to figure this out. We need to find out who did this," instructed Robin. Before he could move, however, another arrow appeared, a mere inch away from Beast Boy's face. He cried out and jumped into Raven's arms, before dropping to the ground when she dropped him. Robin pulled off another message. This one was different. _What causes a sudden increase in heart rate, a loss of memory, and affects overall brain function, but is not a drug? _Gears began to spin in Raven's mind. She grabbed the first paper from Cyborg, and took the second from Robin. She held them side-by-side, looking at each question. _My first is foremost legally_, she mused. Then she looked at the word legally. The first letter was an 'L.' Then she noticed the 'O' in outwardly, and the 'V' in victory. The last line began with _My last twice ends_, and she didn't need to look at the word nominee. Looking back at the second riddle, she confirmed her answer.

"Love," she spoke, and Starfire looked confused. "Love is the answer."

"How?" asked Cyborg, before realizing it. "Oh…"

"I do not understand," Starfire said.

"Look, it says, '_my first is foremost legally_.' The first letter in 'legally' is L," Raven explained, but before she could begin to explain the next part, a voice interrupted her.

"Ah, well done, Raven!" it called from out of view. The Titans each took a battle pose, ready for whatever faced them. "In fact, you did so well, I'll show myself to you!" it continued. In front of them, a small child appeared in the air, white wings flapping to support him. He had only a diaper on, and curly blonde hair covered his head. What worried the Titans most, however, was the fact that he held a small bow, and wore a similarly-sized quiver on his back. Arrows filled the quiver, and he the bow was held taut in his hand. Before the Titans could react, he let the arrow fly, and it struck Raven in the shoulder. She spun and fell to the ground, and Beast Boy demorphed to help her. He pulled the arrow out, and was surprised to see how easily it came out. He looked at the wound, and was surprised to see that it had barely nicked her at all. He examined the arrow—the tip was the shape of a heart, and it was a light pink in color. He tossed it aside, and carefully shook Raven.

"Raven, are you okay?" he asked, concerned. The other Titans kept their eyes on the floating little boy. Ravens' eyes opened, and a dreamy look appeared on her face.

"Oh, Beast Boy," she said in happy tone, unlike anything the Titans had ever heard from her. "I'm so happy to see you." Cyborg, Robin, and Starfire turned to see why Raven sounded weird.

"Raven, are you okay?" Beast Boy repeated, worried about why Raven was acting weird. She sat up and looked him in the eyes.

"I've never felt better," she replied, and what the Titans saw next shocked them. Raven's hands went behind Beast Boy's head, and pulled him in. His eyes opened wide as he felt Raven's lips press up against his own, her hands holding him in place. His body went numb, and yet he felt electricity flow through him. The other Titans stared in horror, disgust, and surprise as they watched their teammates lock lips. Cyborg, thinking quickly, used his robotic eye to snap a picture of the two. After staying in that position for _much_ longer than was necessary to make everyone feel awkward, Beast Boy flailed and pulled himself out of Raven's grip… and immediately fell to the ground, fainted. Raven stood up and smiled mischievously as she looked at her handiwork. She then faced her teammates, and saw the identical expressions of confusion on their faces.

"What?" she asked. "Can't a girl kiss her now-boyfriend?" Cyborg stammered.

"Uh… Raven, don't you think he's annoying?" he questioned.

"Nope," replied Raven.

"What about his jokes, are they funny?" Robin asked, recovering from his shock. Raven shrugged her shoulders.

"'Course I do. He's hilarious."

"How about his looks? Do you find him to be cute?" asked Starfire, dropping to the ground.

"Yes!" Raven exclaimed, and a nearby lamppost broke with a dark energy. "He's _adorable!_ With his little fang, and his ears, and I just LOVE his green skin…" the empath said, beginning to list the many qualities she apparently found attractive in the green Titan. Starfire, Robin, and Cyborg looked at each other, and nodded heads. Cyborg broke away and put his hand on Raven's shoulder. "…and the way his hair looks when he wakes up, and—"

"Hey, Rae?" asked Cyborg, interrupting what could be a very _long_ list. "Sorry to say this, but—" he said, and instead of finishing his sentence, he opened a fingertip to let a needle poke out. He quickly pricked her skin, and injected her with a tranquilizer in a manner of half a second. Raven looked at Cyborg in horror, and began to speak her mantra.

"Azarath… metreee….. oooooon…" was all Raven could say before she dropped to her knees, and then fell forward onto the ground. Robin turned towards the laughing baby.

"Oh, man!" he wheeze. "That's great! Oh, priceless. I love that arrow. It's my favorite!" He looked up to see Cyborg's laser cannon charging, Starfires' eyes and hands glowing, and Robin holding bird-a-rangs in his hands.

"Who _are _you!?" demanded Robin, but the winged baby snapped his fingers and disappeared with a laugh. Cyborg and Starfire fired at where he had been, but they heard the baby's laugh from beside them.

"Can't hit me!" he called, reappearing with his bow drawn. He shot his arrow, and this time, Cyborg was hit. Luckily, it bounced off of his metallic body and harmlessly landed on the ground next to Beast Boy, who sat up and rubbed his head. The winged baby disappeared again, and reappeared behind the Titans. "Looking for me?" he taunted, and as the Titans turned around, he sunk an arrow into Robin's side, and the Boy Wonder fell. Starfire immediately came to his aide.

"Robin!" she cried out, only to be hit with an arrow herself moments later. Cyborg blasted the child, only to have him disappear again. This time, he didn't disappear, and Cyborg ran over to where Starfire and Robin lay, arrows sticking out of them. He quickly pulled them out—thankfully, the arrows had also not gone into the flesh, just barely sticking in to them—and put the two on their backs. He shook them gently. Starfire was the first to come to, and she looked up at Cyborg.

"Thank goodness you're alright. Little Cupid shot you two, and I was starting to worry, and—" Cyborg said, but was silence by Starfire sitting up and putting a finger on his mouth.

"Your concern is touching, friend Cyborg," thanked Starfire. "I, too must admit something that I have kept inside of me for a long time." As she said this, Cyborg stood up, as did Starfire. "We have worked together for many years, side-by-side, but always as _teammates_, as only _friends._" As she said this, she slowly walked towards Cyborg, who began to back away just as slowly. "To be truthful, I have felt many things over the time we have served as 'Teen Titans:' anger, despair, joy, and pain. One thing, however," she said as Cyborg backed up against the wall, his eye widening in realization as to what was happening, "has remained constant. _Affection_, as you say it here. I feel for you, Cyborg," she said plainly, and placed one hand on the wall next to him. She pressed her body against his, and floated upwards to put her face on the same level as his. She leaned in closer, and whispered as she said, "I do hope you know what I mean when I say _I want you_, Cyborg." As she placed her other hand behind his head, she leaned in ever closer and closed her eyes. Cyborg panicked—he didn't know what to do! He sweat as the Tamaranian princess began to make the final move, and he suddenly dropped down to the ground. He rolled to the side, and stood up, watching as Starfire turned to face him, eyes glowing.

"Now, Star," he said nervously, gently kicking Robin. "I love you and all, but you're a _sister _to me. I could never, ever think of you in the way you're thinking of me." He knew, however, that something was wrong. Horribly, horribly _wrong._ He guessed that the stupid Cupid-baby-guy had something to do with it.

"You _deny_ my advances?" questioned Starfire, floating even higher. "I am Koriand'r, Princess of Tamaran, and you say _no_ to me?" she questioned again, her voice rising. Cyborg nervously bent down and shook Robin violently. Robin suddenly sat up, and then jumped up.

"Where is she?" he demanded, looking around.

"Where is who?" asked Cyborg, "and also, can you tell Starfire not to kill me?" he added quickly. Robin simply waved it off.

"Starfire, don't kill Cyborg. He needs to help me," he said neutrally, as if his mind was in another place. Starfire floated back to the ground, eyes still glowing.

"Who do we have to find?" asked Beast Boy, standing up, trying to understand what was happening. He held the arrow in one hand, waving the pointed end about.

"Careful, BB, don't touch the end of that thing, _whatever you do_," warned Cyborg. Beast Boy looked at the arrow's tip, and rub it against his thumb.

"See, it's pointy at all! Doesn't hurt a—ow!" yelped Beast Boy, and he began to shake slightly. _Oh no,_ thought Cyborg, but Beast Boy stood back up properly. "See, it's not painful at all! Just a little pinch, and—whoa…" Beast Boy stopped in mid-sentence. He dropped the arrow to the ground, and swaggered over to Starfire. "You know, Star," he said as he slicked back his hair with his hand, "I don't think I've ever told you, but you are one _fine_ momma." Cyborg facepalmed as he realized what Beast Boy was doing. He appeared to be the only one sane at the moment, and he pulled out his communicator.

"Cyborg to Henry, please respond." After a moment of silence, Henry picked up.

"Cyborg, man, how ya doing?" asked Henry cheerfully.

"Terrible, man. I need you and Terra to come to the Bank of Pérez ASAP. This new villain has caused our friends to be infatuated with one another. Worse of all is, none of them like the person who likes them."

"Oh my goodness. Sounds like they all have a case of the love bug," Henry replied.

"More like they've been hit been Cupid's arrow—_literally_," Cyborg said into the communicator. "Just, get into the garage and get in the T-Car. She'll automatically come to me, so you and Terra don't need to worry about driving it."

"On our way," Henry responded.

"And one more thing," Cyborg added. "Make sure that you don't put a _scratch_ on my baby." Henry chuckled, and then the line went dead. Cyborg turned around to see Raven sitting back up, trying to get Beast Boy's attention as he continued to hit on Starfire. The alien continued to stare at Cyborg, a seductive look in her eyes. Robin walked over to him.

"Is she coming?" asked the Boy Wonder.

"Robin, I can't tell you if she's coming if I _don't know who she is!_" exclaimed Cyborg.

"The love of my life, the one who makes my heart beat. She is the one for whom I would die, and not even Slade could keep me from making sure she was safe," Robin replied, casually mentioning his mortal enemy.

"WHO!?" repeated Cyborg,

"The most wonderful girl on the planet. The one whose powers make me feel weak whenever I see her use them. The one who—"

"_GET. ON. WITH. IT,_" Cyborg said, grating his teeth. "If you mean Starfire, she's right over there," continued Cyborg, motioning towards her. Robin shook his head.

"Starfire? No, of course not. I mean the one who was kept away from us for a long time, trapped in stone. Terra."

* * *

**And that, my friends, is chapter fourteen. Is it a coincidence that the Cupid-like character appears in Chapter 14, considering that Valentine's Day is February 14****th****? Absolutely. Is it hilarious that I didn't even realize that until I typed out the word "fourteen" at the beginning of this AN? Absolutely. Are you going to have to wait until next chapter to find out what happens to the Titans, given their love-oriented state? **_**ABSOLUETLY. **_**Oh, man, the last half of this chapter was fun to write. In other news, I have decided to put story updates on my profile, so if you want to know what the current status of any of my stories are, check there. That's all for now. Remember, I love to get feedback from you guys. Reviews have been 0 for the last few chapters, and that's kind of disappointing, but eh, I know I love this story. I'll just say that although I **_**do**_** appreciate them, you don't **_**have**_** to review. If you have any questions, comments, or ideas, feel free to leave them in a review OR go ahead and PM me for a 1-on-1 basis. Okay, goodbye until next time. Have a fan-freaking-tastic day!**

—**Cortexin**


	15. Love Bug 2: Returning to the Tower

_**When we last saw Henry, he was back at the Tower, recovering. The Titans, however, had a bad case of the love bug…**_

_"The most wonderful girl on the planet. The one whose powers make me feel weak whenever I see her use them. The one who—"_

_"__GET. ON. WITH. IT,__" Cyborg said, grating his teeth. "If you mean Starfire, she's right over there," continued Cyborg, motioning towards her. Robin shook his head._

_"Starfire? No, of course not. I mean the one who was kept away from us for a long time, trapped in stone. Terra."_

* * *

Henry and Terra raced down to the garage, and flipped on a light. Although said racing was not entirely pleasant for our young hero, he ignored the pain, because there would be time for recovering later. Right now, there were Titans to save. Henry and Terra got into the front seats of the T-Car, and the doors slammed shut. After buckling, the two realized they had no idea what they needed to do.

"How do you start this thing?" asked a confused Henry.

"I don't know, this is the first time I've been in this thing!" replied Terra, equally confused.

"Wait. Cyborg said that it would automatically go to him…" mused the boy, and as if on cue, the car started up.

"Whoa," gasped the two at the same time. The door opened, and the T-Car slowly drove forward onto a large gray platform. The garage door behind them closed, and darkness immediately surrounded them. In a moment, however, the darkness began to turn to light as the ceiling above them slid off to the side, moving out of the now-rising platform's way. Henry and Terra watched wide-eyed as the car slowly rose, until the platform reached ground level. A quick glance in the mirror told them that the Tower was behind them. Henry looked over at Terra, grinning.

"This is so cool," he said, but was thrown back into his seat when the T-Car suddenly sped forward, towards the water. Terra looked out at the rapidly approaching water. She and Henry turned to each other.

"AAAAAHHHH!" the teens screamed, grabbing on to each other and holding for dear life. Just as they were about to hit the water, though, the blue-and-white vehicles' wheels flipped sideways, and miniature jets activated to keep the car above the water's surface. After not splashing and crashing when they expected, Henry opened one eye hesitantly, and was amazed to see that they were going over the water.

"Terra, look out the window," he said calmly, trying to catch his breathe. Terra let go and did, and gasped.

"Wow…" she muttered, shocked by the view. What they saw was the coast of Jump City, with the city itself just past the ridge that blocked many of the lower sections from view. Sand faded into grassy hills, and just over the hills were the towering structures that made up Jump. The coast grew closer and closer, and eventually the T-Car flew past the sand, and going over the small ridge, put the wheels back into a normal position. Unfortunately for Terra and Henry inside, it had done this while going at an angle, flying onto a road that snaked into the city. This meant that they were several feet in the air, and the car landed with a thud, and Henry let out an _oompf!_ of surprise. As the car sped inwards, Terra spoke up.

"So, Henry, what's life with the Titans been like?" Henry thought for a moment. _What had it been like?_ he thought to himself. Hectic, for sure.

"Hectic," he replied honestly. "Despite having been here for only a few days, it's been crazy . Bad guys every day, my first patrol night, plus initially realizing I had powers."

"Huh. Who's your favorite?" she asked.

"Favorite?" Henry was taken aback. "What do you mean, 'favorite?'"

"You said that where you come from, we were just cartoon characters," Terra explained. _Which I still can't believe,_ she added in her mind. "So clearly, you _must_ have had a favorite. Who was it?" Henry stared at her with a blank face.

"You can't seriously expect me to tell you," he replied as the T-Car ran a red light.

"Why not?"

"You're asking me to pick my favorite _teammate_, and I can't do that." This time, it was the blonde's turn to look confused.

"Teammate?"

"Umm, yeah, teammate. I'm a Teen Titan now!" he responded enthusiastically, pulling out his T-Communicator. "They gave me one of these, and even made up the costume for me," he continued, pulling at part of his sleeve to emphasize. Terra's face fell.

"Oh," was all she replied with. Henry put a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, don't beat yourself up. Like I said earlier, they've _forgiven_ you. All Robin needs to do is fulfill what his ego tells him to do, what with that 'interrogation' he's got planned. Besides, it looks like this is the second time you'll have saved their butts from something awful. I'll vouch for you to join, if no one else will." Terra smiled at that. "But I don't think it will be just me. Beast Boy for _sure_ will want you back, and Starfire most likely will as well. That's three of the six already."

"But that leaves Raven, Robin, and Cyborg. Raven and I never really got to be close. Sure, we were friends, but… anyway, I think Cyborg still likes me, and Robin might determine I'm still a 'good guy,' so I think that's that," Terra finished.

"See, look what you get when you think positively," Henry replied, patting her shoulder several times, then leaning back in his seat. After another minute, the T-Car pulled up to the bank, and Henry and Terra could immediately see that _something_ was going on. In the time that had passed, Beast Boy had turned his affections to Raven, and Terra sat slack-jawed at the sight of the two. Their hands were interlocked, and Terra could see them laughing and smiling. Nobody seemed to notice the bursting streetlights, and as the nearest one to the T-Car popped, Terra's heart dropped. She watched as Raven and Beast Boy leaned closer together, and turned away so she wouldn't see what would happen next. Tears began to form.

"Now, wait a second, Terra," Henry said reassuringly, despite being disturbed by the sight of Starfire attempting to kiss Cyborg. "Cyborg said something about them being hit by Cupid's arrow, and judging by the collection of arrows over there…." He trailed off, slowly realizing that something was horribly wrong. Just as he turned to talk to Terra, her door slammed shut, and Henry scrambled to get out. "Wait, Terra, let's do anything rash—" he tried to say, but her hand whipped up, silencing him. Terra rolled up her sleeves, her eyes glowing yellow. Her sadness had quickly boiled into anger. Raven was _not_ going to take her Beast Boy away. Oh, no. She had just gotten the chance to be with him for good, and Terra was NOT about to let Raven ruin it. Cyborg managed to excuse himself from Starfire's grip once again, and he walked over to Terra.

"Thank goodness you—oh, no. Terra, now hold on. There was this little Cupid-guy, and he shot them with his arrows. I think that it's some sort of chemical that—" Cyborg said, but stopped as Terra floated on a piece of earth, her glowing eyes reaching his level.

"I don't _care_ about stupid Cupid! All I know is that _that witch_ is trying to take Beast Boy away from me!" vented the geomancer. "And so help me, not even _Superman himself_ could stop me from trying to prevent that!" As Terra's voice rose, so too did many small pebbles and stones around the her. Before she could begin her fight, a sudden bouquet appeared in front of her. The blonde's fury evaporated into confusion, and she dropped down to ground level. In front of her stood Robin, dressed in a full black suit and tie, still wearing his mask. He quickly grabbed Terra's hand, and bent to kiss it.

"Umm…." Muttered the confused girl. "Robin? What are you doing?"

"I am only making my affections for you known. Terra, will you do me the honor of accompanying me to the Jump City Charity Ball this next weekend?" he asked, thrusting the flowers into her arms. Terra merely stammered, unsure of what to say. Henry walked up behind Terra, and put his hands on her shoulders.

"She would _love_ to attend the ball with you, Robin," Henry said over-enthusiastically, winking at Cyborg.

"She would?" replied Robin, his face rising.

"I would?" repeated Terra, turning to face Henry.

"Shh…. Just go with it for now," he whispered, and she turned back to face Robin.

"Yes, Robin, I accept your offer," she answered. _Just what is going on?_ she thought to herself. Robin jumped into the air, letting out a loud woo-hoo. He ran over to Beast Boy and Raven, and shook them by their shoulders.

"Did you hear that? She said yes!" he exclaimed excitedly. Cyborg watching as Robin ran over to Starfire, and prepared a tranquilizing needle, much stronger than what he had used with Raven. Robin then ran over to Cyborg. Cyborg offered his right hand, with the needle-tipped finger ready for action.

"Congrats, dude," he said as they gripped hands. The needle immediately thrust forward, and within seconds Robin collapsed on the ground. Cyborg looked down at the sleeping hero—where had he gotten the suit? he wondered, but shrugged it off. It was Robin—the boy probably had one stashed somewhere in his belt. How he fit, Cyborg wasn't about to guess… but that was beside the point. He looked at the Titans—an unconscious Robin, love-blinded Beast Boy and Raven, a suddenly-seductive Starfire, an emotionally troubled Terra, and himself and Henry. _How could this possibly get any worse?_ he asked himself.

"Okay, Titans, since it looks like we couldn't possibly cause any more damage, let's go home," instructed the temporary leader. He picked up Robin, and placed him in the front-passenger's seat. Raven, Starfire, and Beast Boy climbed into the backseat. Starfire sat directly behind where Cyborg would sit, and tried to ignore the smooching couple next to her. As Cyborg walked around the car to get in the driver's seat, he realized that Henry and Terra wouldn't have anywhere to sit. They stood near Cyborg.

"Uh, Cyborg… there's no room," Henry pointed out.

"Yeah, I know…"Cyborg rubbed the back of his head. "Hey, sorry about this, but Terra, you'll need to fly the two of you home." Terra looked up at Cyborg with concern, but nodded. "Alright, see you back at the Tower," he added, getting into the T-Car. As he drove away, Terra forced the chunk of earth around her and Henry to rise into the air. As Terra flew through the city, Henry began to talk.

"Sorry about Beast Boy. I mean, I know he's under some weird effects, but I can't imagine how that must feel," he commented. Terra let out a sigh, and swerved to avoid a traffic light.

"It hurts, but at least I know it's not really him," she replied sadly.

"Back home, there's a lot of people who ship them," Henry continued, not realizing what he had just let slip. The ground they rode stopped moving, and simply floated above traffic. Terra turned around, he arms crossed.

"Ship? What do you mean, _ship_?" she asked. Henry muttered something about _how much of an idiot_ he was.

"It's, er, when people think that two other people should be in a relationship together. Usually romantic, but sometimes just a friendship fan fiction will float around." Henry's eye's widened as he realized that he had said 'fan fiction.' Terra's eyebrow raised in question.

"Fan fiction?"

"Umm…" he muttered, beginning to blush. "Just a story that a fan would write about a TV show, or a book, or movie, or whatever they liked, using the characters." Now Henry's face was beet-red. "People tend to write stories about how two characters that they shipped would fall in love, even if it wasn't 'canon,' or in other words, official." _What are you doing!?_ he thought to himself, but his mouth kept talking. "Not that I _read_ them or anything, but…" Henry stopped, covering his mouth. "Please don't tell the others," he squeaked. Terra looked at him, confused.

"I won't, but on one condition,"

"Name it," Henry nearly begged.

"You help me stop Raven and Beast Boy from hooking up," she said simply. She extended her hand. "Deal?" Henry breathed a sigh of relief.

"Deal," he replied, shaking the gloved hand. The ground then continued to move, and in a matter of minutes arrived at the coast of Jump City. Titan's Tower stood proud and mighty on its island. Terra stopped moving, and landed next to the water.

"Terra, why'd we stop?" asked Henry. "The Tower is right there." Terra kicked the sand, sending flying into the water.

"Well," she replied after several moments of silence, "you know how I can control the earth, right? Moved boulders and such?" Henry nodded, and Terra continued. "Well, the thing is, when I'm not by it, my powers get weaker, so I can't levitate my rocks too high in the air. And since that's with the ground _below_ me, with nothing to interfere, it's really hard for me to fly over water. As in, I basically can't." Henry scratched his chin.

"Hmm…." He murmured. "Oh, I have an idea!" he said, suddenly experiencing an idea. His mind suddenly raced back to his training battle with Raven. If he could _absorb_ her power, then maybe, he could give off power, too. That had seemed to be the case when they were fighting Gizmo and Control Freak. "Terra," he said, walking up to her, "Get us off the ground." Terra shrugged her shoulders, but commanded the earth to obey her will. There was enough dirt under the sand to form a decent-sized place for them to stand, and it was interesting to watch it form and rise from the sand beneath them. Once they were floating in the air, he put his hand on her back. "Tell me how you feel," he said, and closed his eyes. He concentrated on the energy that flowed through him, and willed it to travel from his hand and into Terra. The geomancer suddenly felt filled with power, and her hands glowed with a bright yellow light. "Now try," Henry encouraged, and Terra commanded their earthen platform to fly across the water. Like always, Terra began to feel her sway over the earth weaken, but not nearly as much as it usually would. She pulled her googles down, and pushed the flying ground faster. She dropped them down close to the surface of the ocean, and the water splayed out behind them as they flew by.

"Woooo!" called the blonde, and shortly afterwards, they arrived at the Tower's base. She raised them straight up, until they were level with the horizontal section of the Tower's T shape. Henry peered into the Tower, and saw that the other Titans were already inside. Well, Cyborg was, alongside a sleeping Robin. Terra knocked on the window, and Cyborg looked up. He rose to his feet, and walked over to the window, letting them in. Terra floated the ground on which they stood inside the Tower, and she and Henry jumped off of it. She then turned and pushed her arms forward, sending the dirt flying into the air. As she relinquished her control over it, the clump broke into a thousand small particles, each carried by the wind.

"Where are the others?" asked Henry once the window had closed again.

"Starfire is in her room, and Beast Boy and Raven are… I don't know where they are." That statement caused Terra to panic—and she ran to the elevator. Henry and Cyborg locked eyes, then chased after her. The two heroes barely made it to the elevator, and slid inside of it. A steaming Terra clutched her fists.

"Terra, we need to be quiet when we go up there," Henry said. Cyborg looked at him.

"We don't need to go up there at all! What they do is their own business," he said. "If they want to… do something, then let them do it. All we can do is hope that they use common sense."

"Cyborg, they're not in their right minds! We can't let them… do anything that they'll later regret!" countered Terra. The elevator doors opened, and Terra and Henry dashed down the hall. Cyborg went to follow them, but walked slowly. As he passed the rooms, he noticed that nobody was in Beast Boy's room. _Huh_, he thought to himself,_ guess that means they're in Raven's room. Which means I have to go past Starfire…_ he shuddered. Just as he thought this, something tapped him on the shoulder. He barely had time to react before he was swept up and carried, a hand over his mouth.

Up ahead, Henry and Terra crept towards Raven's door, and pressed their ears against it. They struggled to hear anything, but after focusing, Terra heard something.

"Shhh…" she shushed, and listened.

"….You know somebody?" "No, but that's not the point. Goodbye, I'll miss you!" "Goodbye, I'm never gonna forget you!" Terra slunk to the ground, and Henry squat down to meet her.

"They're watching _Titanic_," he said softly. Terra wiped a tear from her eye as they stood up. _It's not fair!_ she thought angrily to herself. _She doesn't deserve him! _

"She doesn't deserve that," Terra replied, walking back towards the elevator. "_I_ should be the one watching _Titanic_ with him, not her. She's a cold, mean, and creepy witch," she muttered to herself, but Henry heard. He grabbed her shoulder and turned her to face him.

"Don't say that. You're just upset, and neither of them know what they're doing. Besides, you'll get the chance to, Terra!" Henry said encouragingly.

"But what if, when we fix them, he thinks that he really _does_ like her more than me?"

"Well, if he does, then he'll have to go through me," Henry said, suddenly feeling weak in his stomach. Terra looked at Henry strangely.

"Why you?"

"Well, I'll make sure he realizes that you're the better choice for him," he replied, tugging at his collar. "And also, because…" Henry said, and then whispered something into Terra's ear. She gasped when he pulled away.

"You do?" she asked. Henry nodded, blushing. Terra smiled. "Don't worry, I won't tell." Henry thanked her.

"You help me, I help you?" he asked.

"You help me, I help you," she replied. Henry grinned and let out a sigh of relief. They walked back towards the elevator, but as they passed Starfire's room, Henry stopped. Henry heard something coming from the alien's room. Something that sounded like…

"NO!" called a voice that sounded like Cyborg. Without a second thought, Terra and Henry burst into Starfire's room, only to see…. Cyborg bound, sitting at a table, with piles of colorful globs surrounding him. Starfire stood in front of him, holding a spoon filled with a green, jiggling substance that resembled Jell-O. The alien princess turned to look at them, and smiled.

"Oh, friends Henry and Terra! Would you like to join Cyborg and I for a glorious meal from my home planet?" she asked sweetly. Cyborg looked over at them, the look on his face begging for help.

"Uh, Starfire? We need Cyborg's help. Like, right now," lied Henry. Starfire's face dropped, but undid the ropes around his wrists and legs. Cyborg quickly stood up and walked out. Terra looked at Henry, and walked over to Starfire.

"Don't worry, I'll join you if you'd like," she offered, smiling. Starfire shook her head sadly.

"No, this is a meal that signifies the union of two people. Friends may join, but the couple must be present in order for it to have any true meaning."

"Oh," replied the blonde. "I guess I'll join you later, then."

* * *

The Drode cackled with inhuman laughter. He had been viewing the tapes that showed the Titans slowly fall to Cupid's arrow.

"Master Gemlon, isn't it wonderful?" he asked, trying to sound supportive. Of course, he didn't care for Gemlon, but he had to fake it. Crayak had ordered him to, and so he would.

"Yes, Drode. You have done well, but not well enough. Three of these 'Teen Titans' are not yet consumed by what they call 'love.' Until then, you have not succeeded. Go now, and find this Cupid again. There are still many things left to do…"

* * *

**That's that, guys. Not as good or as long as I would have liked, but you're lucky you are getting this. I've been sick with a bad sinus infection the last few days, and haven't been able to focus much on my writing. But at least I'm getting a chapter out, and so hopefully this soothes you until the next one does. Big thanks to everyone who has followed and favorite this, along with everyone who has reviewed so far. Speaking of which, feel free to leave one if you want. I always appreciate them, no matter how long or short. Feedback helps me to better my story, and if you guys don't tell me anything, I won't know how to make it better for you. That said, I still have a lot in store for this. I DO plan to do Trouble in Tokyo, but that's not for a while. So sit back, enjoy the story as it updates, and feel free to PM me with any ideas, questions, or anything else you'd like to say. Bye everyone, and have a fan-freaking-tastic day!**

—**Cortexin**


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